Christians Gone Wild in

1 CORINTHIANS

A unique, verse-by-verse, life-application commentary

by Terran Williams.

INTRODUCING 1 CORINTHIANS It is often said, The church today needs to get back to how it was in the original church. Whoever originated that saying clearly had not read 1 Corinthians. My prayer for any church would be, God, dont let this church be anything like the church in Corinth. If you think your church is in a bad state, then reading 1 Corinthians will encourage you. You might find yourself praying, God, were not where you want us to be but thank you God, were not like them. Pauls letter to the 1 Corinthians reveals the underbelly of a church that had lost the plot seriously. Chapter after chapter of his letter reveals yet another shocking error in the life of the church whether it was pride and arrogance, divisiveness and elitism, sexual and financial immorality, divorce and depravity, reverting back to pagan rituals in order to be accepted by the culture, gender and authority confusion, the wealthy humiliating the poor, the pursuit of spiritual frenzy in meetings (causing even seeking nonChristians to call the church out of their minds), the wrong belief that spiritual power not humble love is the height of spirituality, or the heresy that there was nothing substantially more for the Christian beyond the grave. Christians gone wild is perhaps an understatement. Yet the scandal of grace is that Paul affirms their salvation and the persistent grace of Christ available to the church. We sense Gods relentless pursuit of compromised Christians, as we read Pauls tireless call to repentance, and his ingenious application of some facet of the gospel to these flawed aspects of their lives, and their church. As were exposed to the horrors of compromise and the devastations resulting from seriously distorted perspectives on the one hand, and the sheer brilliance of the gospels ability to bring comprehensive freedom from these sins and heresies on the other hand, we are both humbled by our own failures, and awed by Gods grace to get us on track. As we read it, we hear Gods whisper, No matter how far youve drifted, Im not giving up on you. By my grace you can still be all I want you to be, and do all I want you to do. MAIN SOURCES USED IN THIS COMMENTARY Primary sources: Fee, Gordon The First Epistle to the Corinthians Grand Rapids, Michigan, William Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987 Eaton, Michael. Preaching Through the Bible: 1 Corinthians 1-9 England, Sovereign World Trust Publishers, 2000. Eaton, Michael Preaching Through the Bible: 1 Corinthians 10-16 England, Sovereign World Trust Publishers, 2000. Guzik, David Online commentary on 1 Corinthians (available at www.enduringword.com/commentaries/46.htm)

Supplementary sources: Driscoll, Mark Online notes and preaching from 2007 1 Corinthians series (available at www.marshillchurch.org/media/1st-corinthians) Kaiser, Walter; Davids, Peter; Bruce, FF; Brauch, Manfred (editors) Hard Sayings of the Bible Illinois, Intervarsity Press, 1996 UNDERSTANDING THE FLOW OF THOUGHT IN 1 CORINTHIANS We cannot understand this letter until we understand the specific situations Paul was addressing in the Corinthian church. Although we explore this in detail in the commentary, it is useful to get a sense of the overall flow of the letter, especially with regard to the various occasions Paul was addressing 1) Introduction (1:1-9) Before Paul brings any correction to the church, Paul affirms Gods amazing grace toward them as a church. 2) Worldly wisdom and disunity (1:10-4:21) The church in Corinth had become preoccupied with worldly wisdom, power and prestige. This caused them to divide up into camps depending on which Christian leader they believe to have had the greatest wisdom and power. Paul speaks into this situation by contrasting worldly wisdom with Gods wisdom; by revealing the true nature of the church and ministry; and by directly confronting pride and self-reliance in the church. 3) Moral problems at Corinth (5:1-6:20) The church in Corinth had failed to embrace the sexual ethics of Christ. Instead of correcting a man who was having an affair with his stepmother, they congratulated him. Paul shames them, and instructs them to excommunicate the unrepentant man. Someone in the church had sued someone else in the church. Paul shames the church, and the man who did the suing, for failing to deal with the conflict in a less destructive manner. This leads Paul to confront compromise in general in the church. Then Paul addresses the fact that some men in the church are visiting prostitutes and are justifying it by saying that theyre free and that the body, and what is done with it, doesnt really matter anyway. Paul then strongly counters these justifications, and urges them to flee from sexual immorality. 4) A variety of instructions and advice related to marriage and singleness (7:1-40) Paul responds to a question that the church had asked him in a letter that pertained to sexual immorality. He deals with the question in a comprehensive manner, giving them some instructions to married couples (have sex regularly); to formerly married people (stay single, or remarry if you want); to Christians married to non-Christians (dont divorce

them, although they may want to divorce you); and to married couples (dont divorce). When it comes to the subject of guiding engaged couples, he uses the opportunity to give them much advice that is best understood in light of the present crisis (v26) the church was facing. 5) Complex ethics of idol-food (8:1-11:1) Next Paul deals with another issue that the church had challenged him on in their letter to him: whether it was acceptable to eat at pagan temples, where part of the evening involved the sacrifice of the meat to the god of the temple. Though Paul had previously forbidden them from doing so, they had disagreed with him, and argued for their right to do so with three arguments. To each argument, Paul counter-argues in this letter 1) They had argued that all Christians already knew that there was only one true God, and therefore the gods didnt exist anyway. Paul counterargues that Christian ethics is not only about knowledge, but more importantly about love, and that their eating at the pagan temples was unloving to many in their church who would wound their own conscience if they were to do the same. (8:1-13) 2) They had argued that Paul didnt have authority to speak on this matter anyway, after all they had never supported him financially, and he had seemed to be inconsistent in his own example of eating the meat previously offered to idols. Paul counter-argues that he could have received financial support but had chosen not to, and explains why he, for the sake of the gospel, had acted inconsistently with regard to eating meat offered to idols. (9:1-27) 3) They had argued that since they had been baptized and ate and drank of the Lords table, that they were somehow immune from falling into sin and judgment anyway. Paul counter-argues by showing how Israel, despite their own version of baptism and the Lords supper had fallen into sin and judgment nonetheless, and that, although there is only one true God, demons are associated with the pagan meals. (10:1-22) Lastly on this topic, Paul permits them to buy and eat meat previously offered to idols in their own homes, provided no one at the table has a problem with this. (10:23-11:1) 6) Disorders in public worship (11:2-14:40) Paul then teaches on appropriate gender roles. He did this because some women came to church meetings without their heads covered. Paul addresses this by telling them to cover their head. Some translators believe this refers to tying their hair up in a respectful way, at least from the perspective of that culture. In that culture if a woman wore her hair down then she was likely an immoral prostitute, but if she shaved it off she was either a butch lesbian or androgynous. Why were some women in the church doing this? It appears that they rationalized that since they were as saved as the men were, and shared the same experience of the Holy Spirit as the men, that they were the same as, and equal to, men in every way. As extreme feminists or androgynists, they wrongly assumed that distinct gender roles could be thrown aside. There is no real difference between men and women, they argued. And as extreme

egalitarians they rejected authority entirely. By refusing to tie their hair up or wear a covering, they publicly rejected both the fact that woman are different to men, and the fact that they were to be respectful of authority. Paul corrected these wrong understandings in the women by reasserting a godly masculinity and a godly femininity. Paul then confronts a destructive use of the Lords Supper in their meetings. He challenges the wealthy upper class who saw themselves as superior to the poorer, lower class. Because they had brought most of the food, they also ate most of the food. Previously, before the Corinthian church members were converted, they would participate in pagan feasts where social class was deeply embedded. The wealthy would sit together and would eat the best food, and drink the best drink. It seems they simply carried this over into the meal times of the church. The wealthy would help themselves first, and would eat most of the food (11:21). Poor people would remain hungry, while wealthier people would over-indulge and even get drunk! Poor people were humiliated in the process (11:22). Paul then teaches on spiritual gifts. It appears the Corinthians were very open to the Spirit in their meetings. They especially enjoyed and emphasised the public speaking of tongues, perhaps even speaking in tongues all at the same time. But they misused the gifts in several ways. They misused the gifts by not appreciating the sheer diversity of gifts there are. So Paul teaches on this (12:1-11). They misused the gifts by not knowing how to function as a diversely gifted body, so Paul teaches on this (12:12-31). They misused the gifts by thinking that the true mark of spiritual maturity was whether the spiritual gifts is present in our lives, so Paul corrects this by showing that it is love, not the gifts, that is the true, eternal mark of life in the Spirit. They misused the gifts by chaotically promoting un-interpreted tongues in the meetings, so Paul calls them to have meetings marked by intelligibility and order. This way, it is more likely that believers will be edified and seekers reached for Jesus (14:140).

7) The future resurrection of believers (15:1-58) Many in the Corinthian church didnt believe that they would receive glorified resurrection bodies in the next life. They seemed to believe they had already arrived, and were super-saints already, and that there wasnt much more to salvation than what they had already achieved. Yes, they believed in life after death, but their view of the life hereafter was simply that they would live on as immortal souls, which was a Greek idea, not a biblical one. So Paul, after reaffirming the gospel (which includes the fact of Christs physical resurrection from the dead (15:1-11)), argues that Christs past resurrection leads to our future one (15:12-33). Then he teaches on the nature of our future resurrection bodies (15:34-58). 8) Final words (16:1-24) Lastly, he gives instructions about a collection of money for the needy Jerusalem church (16:1-4) and future visiting plans, as well as some greetings, final warnings and encouragements.

BRIEF BACKGROUND TO THE LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS Corinth was an economic hub. It was also a multi-cultural port city famous for sex and philosophy. It hosted the bi-annual athletic Isthmian games. Corinthians worshiped the goddess Aphrodite, who had more than 1,000 hierodouloi (female prostitutes and priestesses) in her service. Because of its location, it was a major city of business. It was on a four-and-one-half mile wide isthmus of land. At its narrowest part the isthmus was crossed by a level track, over which vessels were dragged on rollers from one port to the other. This was used constantly, because sailors could avoid sailing round the dangerous promontory of Malea. The Corinthians were also world known for partying, drunkenness, and loose sexual morals. The term Korinthiazomai was well known in the Roman Empire and it meant literally to live like a Corinthian. This meant to be drunk and sexually out of control. Not surprising, it was a city riddled with sexually transmitted diseases (evidenced by the recent archaeological findings of a large number of clay representations of human genitals that had been offered to the goddess for healing of that part of the body). All of the historical evidence we have tells us that it was similar in its place in the ancient world to what a London, a Los Angeles or a Cape Town is in our world. Shortly into Pauls travelling missionary journeys (Autumn in AD 50 to be exact), he founded the church in Corinth. It grew to be a large church, which lived with very little persecution (see Acts 18:8-17). It was mainly Gentile (Acts 18:6) and had a few high-born people (1 Cor 1:26). Because of a vision, Paul stayed 18 months in the city (Acts 18:9). When Paul left for Ephesus, he heard some sad news about the church and wrote a letter to them. Though we dont know the contents of that letter, he mentions it in 1 Corinthians 5:9-11. Then he heard more news via Chloes people (1 Cor 1:11). They also wrote a letter to him asking questions (1 Cor 7:1). In response to the news and the letter, he wrote a second letter to them. We call this 1 Corinthians. It was written early AD 55 (1 Cor 16:8). Sadly, the Corinthian church was in a shocking state by the time this letter arrived. There was great disorder, divisiveness and immorality. There was great confusion about spiritual gifts, the resurrection and marriage. And they tended to criticise Paul, the very man who had introduced them to Christ. He was also the man God was trying to use to get them back on track. COMMENTARY OUTLINE I write this commentary for all Christians who want to hear God speak to them through 1 Corinthians. My concern has been first to understand what Paul is saying in this letter, and why he is saying it. But my second concern is to draw out the timeless truths that apply to us now, even though were in a very different situation to the original recipients of this letter. This is why every point I make is immediately applicable to our lives now. Additionally, I write with preachers in mind. Thats why I have divided up this

commentary into 23 sermon-sections that typically, but not always, revolve around a single theme. Each section is designed to serve as great source material for a single sermon. 1) THREE GREAT PRIVILEGES OF THOSE IN CHRIST (1:1-17) 2) THE GOSPEL OF THE CROSS (1:17-31) 3) THE SPIRIT WHO EMPOWERS, ENLIGHTENS AND TRANSFORMS (2:1-3:4) 4) LEADERSHIP AND THE CHURCH (3:5-23) 5) SIX QUALITIES THAT GOD WANTS IN EVERY CHRISTIAN (4:1-17) 6) RESPONDING TO SIN IN THE CHURCH AND WORLD (4:18-5:13) 7) CONFLICT AND COMPROMISE IN THE CHURCH (6:1-11) 8) THE GOSPEL AND SEX (6:12-7:7) 9) MARRIAGE, SINGLENESS, STATUS AND HANDLING CRISIS TIMES (7:8-40) 10)TRANSFORMED BY THE GOSPEL (8:1-13) 11)LIVING TO ADVANCE THE GOSPEL (9:1-23) 12)PURSUING ALL GOD HAS FOR US (9:24-11:1) 13) GENDER ROLES (11:2-16) 14)THE LORDS SUPPER (10:16-18 and 11:17-34) 15)THE MIRACULOUS GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT (12:1-11) 16)FUNCTIONING IN THE BODY (12:12-28) 17)LOVE IS THE GREATEST (13:1-13) 18) THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT: TONGUES AND PROPHECY (14:1-5) 19) SOME ESSENTIALS IN A CHRISTIAN MEETING (14:6-40) 20)THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL (15:1-11) 21)WHERE TO FROM HERE? PT 1: (15:12-34) 22) WHERE TO FROM HERE? PT 2: (15:35-58) 23)FINAL INSIGHTS AND INSTRUCTIONS (16:1-24)

1) THREE GREAT PRIVILEGES OF THOSE IN CHRIST (1:1-17)

1 Corinthians 1

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christtheir Lord and ours: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thanksgiving 4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every waywith all kinds of speech and with all knowledge 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. First great privilege of those in Christ: were part of both the local and the global church. To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (v2). Who makes up the church? The answer is simple: all those called by Christ in salvation, and all those who call on Christ in worship and prayer. What is the church? This verse helps us understand that there are two answers to this question. Firstly, it speaks of the local church. The local church is a local body of believers who gather in a specific location. They were the church of God in Corinth. Secondly, it speaks of the global church: all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. A recent well-known worship song captures this sense with the words, All over the world people just like us are calling on Jesus. Every believer needs to see themselves as a part of both a local church, and part of the global church. Although we must concern ourselves with the wellbeing of our own local church, we must also concern ourselves with the wellbeing of the entire global church. Second great privilege of those in Christ: were beneficiaries of Gods amazing grace. These opening nine verses describe Gods rich goodness to the church in Corinth. They describe various aspects of Gods grace to a local church. Most of what is written in these nine verses can be applied to almost every local church. The verse that summarizes this opening section is verse 4: I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. What is grace? It is God in action, past, present and future, through Jesus Christ, for the undeserved benefit of believers and churches. Read that definition

again. Grace is the grand theme of all the letters written by Paul. Let us see what these nine verses reveal about Gods grace Grace is God in action. Notice the various actions of God mentioned in these verses. God calls (v1,2). God sanctifies (v2). God gives grace (v4). God enriches (v5). God confirms (v6). God will one day reveal Jesus Christ at the end of time (v7). God keeps (v8). And again, God calls (v9). God is a God who acts. Grace is God in action. Grace is undeserved. The Corinthian church had consisted of an idolatrous, immoral bunch of people before they became Christians. Yet God saved them. He saved them by undeserved grace. All they brought to Christ was their sin. Still today, no one is saved because they deserve it. Rather we are all saved by undeserved grace. The Corinthian church was a very sinful, dysfunctional church (as the rest of the letter will reveal). Yet God, through Paul, still commends his grace to them. Still today, as Christians, we never start to deserve grace. Even after years of following Christ, grace continues to come to us undeserved. Grace comes through Jesus Christ. In these few verses the Lord Jesus Christ is mentioned ten times! Apart from Christ, we cannot experience Gods grace. Christ is the funnel through which grace flows into our lives. That is why grace is for believers and churches. Grace benefits believers and churches, past, present and future. Grace is God being good to us as Christians and as churches. Notice the six different ways God blessed and helped the church in Corinth. They divide up into the past, present and future: o In the past, God had sanctified them and had called them to be saints (here translated holy people) (v2). The word sanctified here means set apart by God for his own special possession and use. When they had trusted in Christ, they instantly became saints or holy people. This doesnt mean that they were totally changed in their lifestyle (they werent). It means that they were totally changed in their standing with God. o In the past, God had awakened them to the reality of Christ. Because of this, they had started to call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (v2). They had begun to experience fellowship with the Son, Jesus Christ (v9). o In the present, God had enriched them by giving them spiritual gifts (v5-7). Later in the letter, Paul will say much more about this subject (chapters 12-14). But for now he affirms that the Spirit supernaturally enabled them in gifts of speech (this would include such gifts as prophecy, tongues, words of knowledge and preaching) and in gifts of knowledge (this would include such gifts as discernment, revelations, interpretation of tongues and wisdom). o In the present, God deeply affirmed and confirmed their trust in the gospel. Paul said that the presence of the gifts of the Spirit confirmed the testimony about Christ (v6). Paul had preached the gospel of Christ to them. Upon believing, they had begun to experience supernatural enablings, which were a confirmation that the gospel message was true. o In the future, God promised that the Lord Jesus would return for

them (v7). This caused them to eagerly wait (v7). o In the future, God promised to keep (them) firm till the end, so that (they) would be blameless (v8). This means that God would not give up on them. He would strengthen them. They were a work in process. And despite all of their failings, he was determined to develop and mature them as a church to the point of blamelessness. Still today, God acts, past, present and future, through Christ, for the benefit of believers and churches! What a kind and faithful (v9) God! Interestingly, the story behind Sosthenes (mentioned in verse 1) is a story of Gods grace. In Acts 18, we learn about him: Paul had led the previous Synagogue leader, Crispus, to Christ. The Jews had replaced him with Sosthenes. Sosthenes then attempted a failed legal attack on Paul. Then, in frustration, his own fellow-Jews had publicly beaten Sosthenes. Though we cant be 100% sure it is the same man, it seems that years later he became a Christian. This leads us to the conclusion that somehow Sosthenes, like Crispus, had also converted to Christ. Possibly in the wake of his humiliation, hed turned to Christ and the church for mercy. There hed experienced kindness instead of brutality, acceptance rather than rejection, friendship with God and man, rather than alienation. Sosthenes experienced Gods wonderful grace!

A Church Divided Over Leaders 10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel Third great privilege of those in Christ: were profoundly united to fellowbelievers. While Paul was in Ephesus, he heard news from someone in Chloes family about what was happening in the church in Corinth. He was told that the church had split into factions, depending on which leader they felt most connected to. Some felt most connected to Paul. Others to a man called Apollos (a very gifted preacher (see Acts 18:24-28) who ministered in their church after Paul had left). Others felt more connected to Cephas (another name for Peter). And then a few people, probably trying to sound

more spiritual than the rest, said they were specially connected to Christ. They even quarrelled over this (v11), each arguing that their chosen leader was the most important one. So Paul urges them, with Christs authority behind him, to agree with one another, and to be united in mind and thought (v10). Paul argues against their divisiveness by asking three searching questions, mentioned in verse 13: o Is Christ divided? By this he means, If you are all in the same Christ, how can you be divided? o Was Paul crucified for you? By this he means, None of us human leaders are your Saviour. Only Christ was crucified for you. Why are you putting so much emphasis on us? o Were you baptized into the name of Paul? By this he means, Youre making too much of your connection to human beings. Even if a leader had baptized you, they did not baptize you into their own name. They baptized you into Christs name. On this point, Paul reminds (v15-16) them that he generally permitted other people to baptize them when theyd been converted years before. He had only baptized Crispus, Gaius, and the household of Stephanus (as best he could remember). Then, in verse 17, Paul puts forward the main reason for their unity: it is the gospel message: For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel. It is the gospel message that led to their salvation, and to the existence of the church. And it was the gospel that was the source of their unity. Still today, we tend to divide ourselves from other Christians by elevating one Christian leader above another. Not that it is wrong to have human leaders. It is wrong to elevate them though! It is just that our loyalty to a human leader is not meant to divide us from fellow-believers. When we consider all we have in common (Christ himself, Christs saving death for us, Christs name that were saved into, and the gospel of Christ that saved us in the first place) we realize that we have far more in common than we realized. We must not let our preference for whatever human personality to undermine our sense of united-ness with other believers. Were one in Christ! Let us cherish, protect and affirm this sense of oneness. What a great privilege this is: Christ has united us by the gospel! If we all believe the same gospel, then what we have in common with fellow-believers is far greater than what differences we have.

2) THE GOSPEL OF THE CROSS (1:17-31) Paul is arguing against the disunity and divisions that had come into the church. He is mentioning how the gospel is the one thing that can truly unite those who have believed it. In this section he speaks about the way the gospel not only can get us saved, but can also transform Christians as we continue to be exposed to it. One major way it transforms us is to

remove the pride that makes us tend to disunity in the first place. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospelnot with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. Let us preach the gospel. As important as being baptised is, it is not as important as being saved by believing in the gospel. The gospel can save someone who believes. Baptism does not save a person. Rather it visually depicts the spiritual reality of salvation in an outward action. That is why Paul was not overly concerned about whom he baptized, but was very concerned about preaching the gospel. He was divinely commissioned to preach the gospel. Christ had sent him to do so. The Corinthians were very intellectual and philosophical. The temptation would have been for Paul to present himself as a wise philosopher, who cleverly and eloquently appealed to the intellect of the people, urging them to consider his new philosophy. But he knew that the role of the preacher is very different to the role of the philosopher. He had a message to proclaim. His message was simple: The holy Creator-God has reconciled the sinful world to himself through the death of his Son on a cross; so trust in the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And it was a powerful message too. God backed this message. Paul was careful to proclaim this simple message in the Spirits power. He knew that if he positioned himself as a philosopher trying to peddle a new philosophy, rather than a messenger delivering a message of what God had done in Jesus, he would not have the power to change peoples lives. The cross of Christ would be emptied of its power. What a privilege it is to preach the gospel today. We have a simple message: The holy God has reconciled the sinful world to himself through the death of his Son on a cross; so trust in the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We can say the message in numerous different ways (as the apostles did). We can argue for the truthfulness of our claim. But we are not at liberty to reduce the gospel to a philosophy or a good idea or an ideology. Were sent by Christ himself as messengers of this life-transforming message, not professors wowing people with our own eloquently stated angle on the meaning of life. Although we do need to communicate the message intelligibly, we dont need to communicate it in a highly intellectual manner. We need courage more than we need eloquence. Here is one way of proclaiming the gospel (taken kindly from a sermon preached by a friend of mine, Guy Chennels to a church in Mumbai, India). There are millions of ways to proclaim the message of the cross. But this is just one of them: One of the things that sets God apart from us is his holiness. This basically means he is totally good and without a spot of evil all his ways are good and he cannot associate with or tolerate evil. This is worse news than just not being able to be buddies with God we all know there is evil in us that we would be ashamed of in front of our peers, let alone a pure and righteous God, and if God is to deal rightly and justly with evil, hell have to deal harshly with us. Wonderfully, God is both just

and the one who justifies. He came to our planet as a human in order to live a perfect life and then willingly exchange the result of his perfect life for the result of our sinful lives. He died the death of a condemned sinner and rose from the dead in triumph over sin, and now is able to extend forgiveness to everyone who accepts it. He dealt with the hostility that had grown between God and us, because of our sin. And more than that, having dealt with our sin, he was now able to restore the relationship we were designed to have with our Creator. He gave us his righteous life to claim as our own, and welcomed us into his family. We now approach God not with a huge burden of sin between us and him, condemned by God, but rather with total confidence in the righteousness of Jesus. We are children of God, welcomed forever into his family. There are many passages in the Bible that describe this amazing good news. One is from a letter one of the early Christ-followers, the pioneer Paul, wrote to a church in Colossae. He says (as the Message translates it), You yourselves are a case study of what Christ does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to Gods side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence (Colossians 1:21-22, The Message). And again, to the Corinthian believers, he summed it up so powerfully when he said: Were speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; hes already a friend with you. How? You say. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God (2 Corinthians 5:20-21, The Message). Christ Crucified Is God's Power and Wisdom 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Let us believe the gospel and experience its transforming power. If we believe the message of the cross, it starts to powerfully change our lives. We are amongst those who are being saved. As believers, we dont just need to hear the gospel once. We need to keep on hearing it preached. We need to preach the gospel to ourselves. It will do its transforming work in our lives. We will cherish it as the very power of God. If, however, we fail to believe the message of the cross, and instead consider it a foolish message, then we will miss out on salvation! We will continue to be amongst those who are perishing. We will remain under the guilt and power of sin. We remain outside of a relationship with God. We will remain under the wrath of God. Death, rather than life, will be at work in our lives. 19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." 20 Where are the wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. The gospel surprises us with Gods chosen means of saving us. The world, through its wisdom did not know God (v21). Despite all of humanitys great learning and accumulation of so-called wisdom and knowledge (and when we consider today the likes of www.wikipedia.com we can say it has been very great indeed), humanity has not, through its own intellectual processes, been able to overcome the guilt and power of sin. And we have not been able to discover who God is nor the meaning of life. This is what Paul means when he says that the wisdom of the world is in fact foolish (v20). The limitation of what can be known through scientific enquiry is designed by God to frustrate the intelligence of the intelligent (v19). Paul is not saying that the accumulation of knowledge in our culture is wrong, just that it is very limited in what it can do. All the professors in the world, apart from Gods self-revelation in the gospel, are unable to help humanity in its most basic problem: alienation from God because of our sin. We wrongly think that Gods wisdom is humankinds wisdom multiplied to the highest degree. The truth is that it is wisdom of a different order altogether. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). Who would have thought that what we as humans needed was salvation from sin? Who would have thought that Gods way of dealing with the problem of sin was through the self-substituting death of Jesus Christ on a cross? Who would have thought that the most vile means of execution reserved for the worst of criminals (the cross) would become Gods most ingenious means of salvation for even the worst of sinners? Gods wisdom comes as a surprise to us. The wise, the teacher of the law (i.e. the religious leader), the philosopher of this age (v20) would never have guessed that this is how God would choose to save the world. Sadly, learned people can often become arrogant, and can reject the gospel message because it is so different to anything their so-called great learnings have revealed. Yet, wonderfully, the moment we humble ourselves and believe the gospel, and trust in the crucified-resurrected Christ for our salvation, were saved (v21). 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

The gospel is a stumbling block to many. The gospel opens the way into relationship with God. It is the pathway to God. But many people dont experience it as a pathway at all, but rather as something that they trip over in confusion and irritation a stumbling block. Paul reflects that different cultures, depending on their basic assumptions about God, tend to react negatively to different aspects of the gospel. For example, the Jews at that time tended to believe that God wanted to rescue the Israelites from the Romans, in a similar act of power to what had happened 1300 years before at the Red Sea when he had rescued them from the Egyptians. They demanded a sign of power. When they heard that God in fact chose to save them in an act of profound weakness (i.e. the cross), they just couldnt accept it to be true. It didnt fit with their assumption about God. Of course, their assumption about God was wrong. The other example (already explored in some detail in verses 18-21) is of the Greeks who looked for highly intellectualized wisdom. Perhaps hearing a message on such themes as the universal fatherhood of God, or the universal brotherhood of humanity, or the way of highest ethics, or the secret meaning of the universe would have appealed to them. But the message of the cross just cut across anything they expected. It didnt fit with their assumption about God. They too had a wrong assumption about God. The gospel of the cross will save many nonetheless. But we preach Christ crucified (v23). Although many Jews and Greeks rejected the gospel because it didnt fit with their assumptions, Paul continued to preach the message nonetheless. And we must keep on proclaiming the gospel without watering down the central mention of salvation accomplished through Christs sacrificial death. Listen to the old words of Spurgeon in this regard: Those who thus veil an unwelcome truth imagine that they make disciples, whereas they are only paying homage to unbelief, and comforting men in their rejection of divine propitiation for sin. Whatever the preacher may mean in his heart, he will be guilty of the blood of souls if he does not clearly proclaim a real sacrifice for sin. Certain theologians tell us that we must adapt truth to the advance of the age, which means that we must murder it and fling its dead body to the dogs, which simply means that a popular lie shall take the place of an offensive truth. (Spurgeon) Paul courageously proclaimed the gospel. And many did believe. Apparently, God supernaturally called them to himself while Paul preached. Those who insist that we must change the emphasis of the gospel because people cant culturally relate to it must realize that the people of Pauls day couldnt relate to his preaching either, yet he kept it up, and with great results. Those that were enabled by God to believe the gospel of the cross started to experience for themselves the Living Christ. It is as they trusted in the Crucified Christ that they also discovered the Resurrected Christ. They

experienced him as wisdom. He helped them make sense of the universe. They experienced him as power. He started to fill them with joy, and liberate them from much of the sin that had been so rampant in their lives. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (v25). All of the human learning in the whole world cannot find the knowledge needed to know God. And all the human energy in the whole world cannot produce the power needed to transform a person in their depths like the gospel can. Amazingly, God was at his weakest when he, in the person of Jesus, carried our sins on that cross. Yet this singular act of apparent weakness outstripped the totality of the greatest feats of humanity. Indeed, the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Today, we must not hold back on preaching the gospel of Christ crucified. David Guzik, in parable form, tells of a church that once inscribed the words, We preach Christ crucified on an archway leading to the churchyard. Over time, two things happened: the church lost its passion for the gospel, and ivy began to grow on the archway. As the ivy grew, one could only read we preach Christ. The church started mainly preaching Jesus the Great Man and Jesus the Moral Example instead of Christ crucified. The ivy kept growing, and one could soon only read, we preach. The church then even lost Jesus in the message, preaching religious platitudes and social graces. Finally, one could only read we, and the church also just became another social gathering place, all about we and not about God.

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. The gospel tends to be rejected by those who live on a diet of selfcommendation and applause from society. Think of what you were when you were called (v26). Most of the Corinthian church (but not all) originally consisted of uneducated, noninfluential, lower-status people. It seems that those who were wise by human standards, influential and of noble birth tended to resist the gospel message. The gospel has many great benefits, but none of them allow us to boast in ourselves. Generally speaking, educated, influential and high-standing people live on a diet of self-commendation and the applause of society. Then along comes the gospel which, in effect, says to them, In Gods sight, youre a sinner like everyone else. You need salvation like everyone else. Despite all your resources, you cannot save yourself. Only Christ can save you. If you will humble yourself before him, he will have mercy on you. Then you will no longer boast in yourself, but you will boast in Gods kindness shown to you. The foot of the cross is level ground. It is here, at the foot of the cross, that the rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak, the educated and the uneducated alike all find God. For people who normally enjoy special

treatment in society, special permits to go wherever they like, or special recognition that sets them above the average man this can be very humbling. And yet, there is no other way to God, than to find Christ sideby-side with the weakest, poorest, most unloved person in our world. Christ simply takes no notice of our standing in society. It doesnt impress him in the slightest. Yet God is able to powerfully draw even the powerful and the wealthy to himself. Lady Huntington, the rich and influential friend of Whitfield and Wesley, used to say, I am going to heaven by an m. It doesnt say not any of you were noble when you were called. It says not many of you were.

The gospel tends to lift people in society. Notice that Paul reminds the Corinthians of what they once were, when they were saved. He is speaking in the past tense. This suggests that, since their salvation, they had lifted up in society a little bit. (Unfortunately, this lift appears to have gone to their head, which is why Paul had to remind them of their origins.) This is common. As people begin to be transformed by the gospel, it tends to have a positive impact on us, helping us be more servant-hearted in how we relate to people, and more diligent and honest in our approach to work. On the whole, these qualities tend to improve a persons situation in society. For example, a friend of mine who works in the slums in Mumbai, India, tells me that he can immediately tell who the Christians are by their concern for hygiene, their care for their family and their home. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised thingsand the things that are notto nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. The gospel helps us make much of Christ, not ourselves. The foolish things of the world refers to the many uneducated Christians in the Corinthians church. The lowly things of the world refers to the many lower-status Christians. The things that are not refers to the people that would be described as societys nobodies. Yet, as God powerfully drew people to himself through the gospel message, it seemed to be that he was most powerfully drawing these very people. Why was God choosing them? It was his way of shaming (v27) and nullifying (v28) those who tended to exalt and boast in themselves. Calvin, commenting on this verse, wrote: In putting the strong and wise and great to shame, God does not exalt the weak and uneducated and worthless, but brings all of them down to one common level. So that no one may boast before him (v29). Powerful people tend to make much of themselves. They are more likely to be drawn to a belief system that teaches that God makes much of them. But the gospel is not a

message that makes much of us at all (although it does speak of Gods special undeserved love for us). Rather, its a message that makes much of Jesus. Its a message that opens our eyes to our own unworthiness and sinfulness in the sight of a holy God. Its a message that enables us to see Christs wonderful undeserved graciousness and sufficiency. It helps us make much of him, not ourselves! 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from Godthat is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let those who boast boast in the Lord." The gospel enables us to find such treasure in Christ. It is because of him that you are in Christ (v30). Paul reminds them, and us, that the only reason we are saved is because God chose us (v27), and called us (v26). He powerfully drew us to himself. The gospel message came to us in the power of the Spirit. And now we are in Christ. We are Christians who have been united to Christ himself forever. Christ has become for us wisdom. Christ is the one in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). Amazingly, the simplest person can know more about what really matters than the most educated person once they are in Christ. It is in Christ that we first truly make sense of the world, and ourselves, and God. Christ has become for us righteousness. Outside of Christ we are sinful in Gods sight. But in Christ, and in Gods sight, were covered by Christs own righteousness. We are declared righteous in Gods sight. He no longer counts our sins against us. The only reason we are able to stand before God is because the righteous character of Christ is credited to us. Our standing and status before God changes instantly and eternally when we trust in Christ. Once our status was wrath-deserving sinner. Now it is grace-lavished forgiven-one. Christ has become for us holiness / sanctification. Not only are we given a new standing before God. We are given a new state of heart. To be in Christ is to have Christs righteousness imparted to us in the form a new heart. As God gives us a new heart, we begin to experience new desires and capacities for godliness, worship, trust, obedience and more. Though the sinful nature is still present, we now have a whole new God-given capacity for holiness. Christ has become for us redemption. Redemption refers to Gods deliverance of us. But in this context (given the order of the four words) it seems that it refers to Gods final redemption of us. One day we will receive our resurrection bodies. We will shine with Gods glory. We will be totally free from pain, death, sin and temptation. We wont even have the tiniest inclination to sin. Interestingly, the last three descriptions of who Christ is for us (i.e. Christ our righteousness, sanctification and redemption) give a brief summary of the full panorama of salvation from sin. Christ our righteousness means that he has saved us (past tense) from the penalty of sin. Christ our sanctification means that he is saving us (present tense) from the power

of sin. Christ our redemption means that he will save us (future tense) even from the presence of sin. Wow! Christ has become for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. To have Christ, and to be in Christ, is to experience the greatest treasure imaginable. The only appropriate response is to make much of Christ, to be thrilled by Christ. All of our wealth, power and achievements are nothing compared to Christ. The words, Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord (v31) remind us that if we really want something to treasure, to cherish, to exalt in, and to be thrilled by, then Christ, the ultimate treasure, is what we are looking for!

3) THE SPIRIT WHO EMPOWERS, ENLIGHTENS AND TRANSFORMS (2:1-3:4)

1 Corinthians 2
1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. Gospel messengers are to be different to other communicators in society. The Corinthian church had become enamoured with the culture of their city. In their city, intellectually fancy speeches that were delivered in a highly skilled, impressive, beautiful, oratorical, wise-sounding way were highly prized. People who could speak in this manner were famous and were often perceived as being above the ordinary person. Paul reminds them that when he came and preached the gospel message to them, he came as a very ordinary person (I came to you in weakness), and that he preached neither an intellectually fancy message (I did not come with human wisdom) nor did he preach in a very fancy way (I did not come with eloquence). Still today, gospel messengers need not deny nor hide their humanity. Many people today assume that a spiritual teacher needs to be a highly evolved, extraordinary human being that has climbed above the vulnerabilities of normal humanity. The truth is, like in the case of Paul, God likes to use ordinary humans, perhaps even extraordinarily weak human beings. Paul came with weakness and great fear and trembling (v3). What were his weaknesses at the time? We cant be sure. We remember that Paul often battled with illness in his travels (see Gal 4:13). He was daunted by the possible persecution he could experience, as well as all the troubles he was experiencing (see 2 Cor 12:10). We also remember that he arrived in Corinth on his own, without, at first, a supportive team (see Acts 18:1). Corinth was a city of great public speakers yet he acknowledged that public speaking was not one of his strengths (2 Cor 11:6). He was just an ordinary person. The point is that God specializes in using ordinary people who are in touch with their own

weakness and humanity. We dont need to have it all together for God to use us. If anything, God is more likely to use us when we feel weak in ourselves than when we feel strong (2 Cor 12:10), because then were more likely to depend on him, not ourselves. Still today, we need not come up with fancy new ideas. Paul saw himself as a messenger with a testimony about God (v1). The word testimony refers to a legal court where a witness simply tells his account of what happened. He was simply declaring, as honestly as he knew how, what he had experienced. His message was simple and straightforward. It was a message about Jesus and him crucified (v2). There is a rawness about the gospel message. It is not a new idea or ideology or philosophy were trying to promote. It is news that we are proclaiming of what God has already done through Jesus his son, especially through the cross, to reconcile the world to himself. Still today, we need not be overly impressive in how we communicate the gospel. Of course Paul would have done his best to get the attention of his listeners, and to proclaim the gospel as clearly as he knew how. And we still need to make an effort to attract a crowd, as well as clearly communicate our message. But Paul did not try to sound overly beautiful in how he said it. And he did not try to impress people with his amazing knowledge. Our goal should not be to impress people with what an amazing communicator we are, but rather to impress people with how amazing God is. After all, only an amazing God would seek to reach out to sinners through the gift and death of his very own Son.

4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power. Be Spirit-reliant not self-reliant as you minister to others. We must choose: will we be self-reliant or Spirit-reliant? Paul, was a highly knowledgeable and gifted man, but he did not rely on his own knowledge and gifting. He relied instead on the Spirit of God as he sought to reach the Corinthians for Christ. His preaching was not with wise and persuasive words (v4). Of course Paul spoke with lots of wisdom (see verse 6 for example). And he did try to persuade people to trust in Christ and the cross (see 2 Cor 5:11). What he means with these words is that when he first preached the gospel to the Corinthians, he did not speak like the famous Corinthian orators did. He didnt try to preach a fancy new philosophy in a fancy, impressive way. His message instead was raw, simple and straightforward. How did he minister and preach then? He did it with a demonstration of the Spirits power. This means that he ministered in tandem with the Spirit. As he declared the gospel message, the Spirit of God both guided his words, and supernaturally emboldened him. Not only did the Spirit touch him while he preached, but the Spirit of God used Pauls message to cut people to the heart while they heard Paul preach. The Spirit of God supernaturally alerted the unsaved hearers to the truthfulness and power

of Pauls message. As they listened to Paul preach, because of the Spirits power on the message, it became evident to them that these were not the words of man, but the words of God. So that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power (v5). This was the reason that Paul did not try merely use his gifts and knowledge to point people to Christ. He wanted people to experience Christ even while he preached his message. Generally, in Corinth, when a powerful orator delivered a compelling new ideology to hearers, people would trust in the orator themselves. They would think to themselves, This persons wisdom seems flawless. I will trust it and I will trust this man. In other words, their faith rested upon human wisdom. But when they heard Paul preach they did not think to trust in Paul, the messenger, but rather in the God who empowered his message. As they heard Paul, it seems they thought to themselves, This very ordinary man is being used by God. I can feel God at work in this message. I will trust in this God. In other words, as people heard the gospel, their trust rested on Gods power. If we want God to use us, we must learn to rely on the Spirits power and not on our own gifting and knowledge. Certainly, the Spirit may use our gifts and knowledge, but apart from the Spirits power, our gifts and knowledge do not have the inherent capacity to supernaturally draw people to trust in Christ. We might impress people, but to long-lastingly impact people, we need the Spirits power. Learning to rely on the Spirits power seems to come most naturally to us when we experience weakness or inability or great pressure, like Paul did. Our own weaknesses and inabilities, which come our way from time to time, will greatly help us to depend on the Sprit and not ourselves. Like Paul, we can even learn to boast in our weaknesses, so that Christs power may rest on (us) (2 Cor 12:9). With Paul we can say, When I am weak, then I am strong! (2 Cor 12:9) Heres an illustration on the theme: DL Moody was to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor protested, "Why do we need this 'Mr. Moody'? He's uneducated and inexperienced. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" A younger, wiser pastor rose and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody."

God's Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit 6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived these things God has prepared for those who love him"

10 for God has revealed them to us by his Spirit. The Spirit enlightens our eyes, ears and minds to perceive the wonders of Christ and salvation. Paul has just shown how severely limited worldly wisdom is (1:18-28). By worldly wisdom he means the worlds attempts to make meaning of life and the universe apart from the gospel. Now he speaks of true wisdom, which can be defined as Gods revelation about the meaning of life and the universe that comes through the preaching of the gospel in the power of the Spirit. Let me unpack these verses sentence by sentence We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature (v6). Who are the mature that Paul refers to in this verse? Although, in other parts of Pauls writings, it refers to spiritually mature Christians in this verse it refers to all those who are saved. Paul suggests that the Corinthian orators and teachers, though presenting themselves as so spiritually evolved and mature, are really immature. They havent understood the most basic things about reality. But not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing (v6). Worldly wisdom is the wisdom of this age. The gospel is wisdom from another age altogether. It is the wisdom of the future redeemed age, not the present fallen age. Worldly wisdom is seen in the rulers of this age. This refers to the most intelligent, powerful people of our day. They miss the reality of the gospel entirely. Though they may be so important in our day, they are coming to nothing. They have built their lives on sand. We declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began (v7). God had always planned to redeem the world through the coming and crucifixion of his Son. This was his secret. But finally, for those who have believed the gospel, it is no longer a secret. What a glorious privilege to now finally understand God and his plan for the world. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (v8). Paul calls Jesus the Lord of glory here. It is a reference to the fact that he was God in the flesh. He comments on how the rulers of the age who were exposed to Jesus (e.g. Pilate, Herod and Caiaphus) failed to recognize who Jesus was and even played a role in crucifying him. However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived (v9). Pauls phrase as it is written here means to use the language of the Scripture. The quote he gives is a compilation of several ideas in the Old Testament that are taught in Isaiah 64:4 and 65:16. The human capacities for physical sight, hearing and learning are not enough to perceive the Lord of the glory, crucified for our salvation. Christs glory and salvation are only perceived through Gods self-revelation. These things God has prepared for those who love him" (v9). Paul has been speaking about Gods wisdom but now he speaks of these things. Gods wisdom refers to Gods revelation about the meaning of the universe that comes through the preaching of the gospel in the power of

the Spirit. These things refers to the various aspects of Christ and salvation that benefit the lives of those who love Christ, which simply means those who have become Christians. So if natural capacity is not enough to find Gods true wisdom, then what is needed? For God has revealed them to us by his Spirit (v10). This is the way to true wisdom. As we hear the preaching of the gospel of Christ crucified for our salvation, it is the Spirit of God who opens our eyes and ears and minds to get it. We can only come to trust in and love Christ, the crucified-and-resurrected Lord of glory, if the Spirit reveals him to us. We can only understand and experience the wonders of salvation if the Spirit reveals them to us. God has prepared (v9) since before time began (v7) that those of us who love Christ would have this wonderful privilege!

10 for God has revealed them to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit within? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. The Spirit gives us access to the deep things of God. Paul uses an analogy. Who knows a persons thoughts except that persons own spirit within? (v11) No matter how close we are to someone, we simply dont know what theyre thinking. We can guess, but we dont know. Only that person knows what theyre thinking. In fact the only way we could know is if we somehow had access to the inner world, the secret thoughts, of that person. Similarly, we dont know God and his thoughts unless he grants us access to his thoughts and inner world. Amazingly, that is exactly what he has done. By sending messengers who preach the gospel in the Spirits power, he has granted us this access. Wonderfully, the message is recorded for us in the New Testament. The Word and the Spirit combine to give us insight into the deep things of God (v10). The Spirit searches all things (v10) so he has much to reveal to us. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God (v12). The spirit of the world here refers to the spiritual blindness that exists in a fallen world. Amazingly, the moment we trust in Christ, we receive the Spirit who is from God. We are born of the Spirit (John 3:5). The Spirit now gives us access to the thoughts of God. That we may understand what God has freely given us (v12). It is only by the Spirit that we can understand and experience the meaning of the universe, the blazing beauty of the Lord of glory, the blood-bought salvation of the cross, all that God has prepared for those who love him (v9), the deep things of God (v10), the thoughts of God (v11), and all that God has freely given us (v12). Apart from the Spirits illuminating work in our hearts and minds, we just dont get it. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in

words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The Spirit enables us to explore and then communicate spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. Though a person cannot spiritually perceive nor experience the wisdom of the gospel apart from the Spirit, this does not mean that spiritual wisdom cannot be put into words. It can. Every gospel-message is an attempt to explain spiritual realities in Spirit-taught words. In fact the whole Bible teaches spiritual realities in Spirit-taught words. We should give our lives to study and explore Gods word in dependence on the Spirit who eagerly longs to open our eyes to the wonderful realities it describes. But let us not just explore these words. Let us give ourselves to communicate it to others. What a privilege it is to not only understand and experience the wonders of Christ and salvation, but also to articulate it to others! We must remember that the Spirit of God inspired the writing of the entire Bible. He has revealed all things especially the deep things of God (v10) in the Bible. But not only does he inspire the Scriptures, he wants to illuminate our minds as we read and study the Scriptures he inspired. By inspiring the Bible he has removed the cover that had hidden the truth from people. By illuminating the Scripture to us he now removes the cover that still hides the truth from our minds. Then as we speak to others out of what we have learnt from the inspired Bible and out of what the Spirit has illuminated to us, we can expect lives to be powerfully touched and changed. 14 The person without the Spirit (can be translated the unspiritual person) does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit (can be translated the spiritual person) makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, "Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. The Spirit sets us apart from those who dont have the Spirit. The Spirit of God has inspired the Bible and empowers preachers as they seek to tell people of the wonders of Christ and salvation. But just because a person reads the Bible or hears that message being preached does not mean they can accept the things taught about Jesus and his grace. If they are not born again, and do not have the Spirit, then they are most likely to consider what they read or hear to be foolish (v14). Much like a blind man, wrongly thinking that a diamond hes just picked up is a stone, so an unsaved person is unable to discern the value and truthfulness the gospel. The Christian (here described as the person with the Spirit (v15)) is able to make judgments about all things. What does this mean? Answer: they have the capacity to appreciate and appropriately value the reality of

Gods salvation achieved in Christ along with all his wonderful grace. With their eyes opened, they see that Christ was and is no ordinary man. Like a man spotting a diamond amidst stones, they are able to trust in and worship Christ, the Lord of glory. Then what does it mean that Christians are not subject to merely human judgments (v15)? It doesnt mean that we should never receive criticism. (This letter to the Corinthians is full of criticism). It means that, though a Christian is able to understand why a non-Christian doesnt get the gospel (they dont have the Spirit), the non-Christian is totally unable to make sense of why the Christian is so excited by the gospel. Much like a deaf man could not imagine what it is like to hear, so the non-Christian does not understand what it is like for the Spirit of God to communicate the reality of Christ to our hearts. The judgment of the non-Christian toward the Christian with regard to their belief in the gospel is totally distorted. Paul then quotes Isaiah 40:13: "Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" After all, Gods knowledge is unfathomable. Yet amazingly, Paul claims that we can know the mind of the Lord: But we have the mind of Christ. The Spirit who indwells us, enabling us to access the mind of Christ and the thoughts of the Father. God reveals to us his own inner world of thought and motivation, the meaning of the universe, the beauty of the Lord of glory, the multi-faceted wonders of the bloodbought salvation, all that God has prepared for those who love him (v9), the deep things of God (v10), and all that God has freely given us (v12). There can be no greater joy and privilege than to supernaturally perceive the wonders of Christ and salvation as taught in the gospel.

1 Corinthians 3
The Church and Its Leaders 1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere human beings? 4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere human beings? We need to learn to walk in the Spirit. Is it possible to be saved and yet not live like were saved? These verses show that it is possible indeed. Just because we have the Spirit doesnt mean that we will begin to draw on the resources and leading of the Spirit. Tragically, it is possible to live just like someone who doesnt have the Spirit at all. That is the case with the Corinthians. Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly mere infants in Christ (v1). Despite their sinful attitudes, Paul still affirms that they are Christians. He calls them brothers and sisters. And though they are infants, they still are infants in Christ. When he says that he could not address them as spiritual but as worldly, he means When I was with you for those 18 months, it was difficult for me to even

speak to you like saved people. (We must remember that in the preceding verses (2:14-15) Paul speaks of a saved person as spiritual or with the Spirit.) I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready (v2). Babies, because of their physical immaturity, cant take solid food. Similarly, the Corinthians, because of the spiritual immaturity, couldnt take all that Paul wanted to teach them. It is often assumed that milk here refers to basic teachings about the Christian faith, whereas solid food refers to more complicated teaching and doctrine. But this is probably not what it means. More likely, milk refers to the gospel of salvation, and solid food refers to learning how to think and live like someone who is now saved. They liked the gospel of salvation, but they did not like the teaching that insisted that they now work that salvation out in the details of their daily lives. What were the signs that they were still so spiritually immature? It was they way they divided into camps depending on which Christian leader they liked best. It was the way there was jealousy and quarreling (v3) among them. Not only that, but they were enamoured with the great orators and fancy so-called wisdom that was so common in Corinth. They were acting like mere human beings ordinary, unsaved men and women who didnt have the Spirit. We need to learn to live like were saved. It is not enough to have the Spirit, we need to now walk in the Spirit. We need to let the reality of Christ, our salvation, the gospel, and the indwelling Spirit, begin to change the way we think and live. What a tragedy if, though saved, we live like were not. As we intentionally seek to live out our salvation in the Spirits enabling power, we begin to love the solid food teaching that helps us to do so. In this last section (2:1-3:4) we have seen the central role that the Holy Spirit plays in the Christian life. Specifically, we have seen how he empowers us for ministry (2:1-5), how he enlightens our hearts and minds with the gospel and the deep things of God (2:6-16), and how he seeks to transform our character (3:1-4). He empowers. He enlightens. He transforms. What a privilege to have the Spirits at work in and through our lives!

4) LEADERSHIP AND THE CHURCH (3:5-23) 5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believeas the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labour. 9 For we are God's co-workers; you are God's field, God's building. God uses leaders and preachers to minister to the church. The Corinthians, because of their fascination with worldly wisdom and

prestige, had started to elevate the leaders who had historically played a key part in the life of the church. They also divided over which leader they thought was the greatest some said Paul, others Peter, others Apollos (1:11-12, 3:4). Now Paul wants to correct this wrong view of the people with regard to the leaders who minister in churches. He does so by trying to help people see those who lead or preach in the church in a new light. He makes several points: Christian leaders are merely servants, used by God. What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe (v5). Paul reminds them that they are mere servants, who were used by God. He also reminds them that the Corinthian church came to believe through them, but not in them. The faith is in God, not leaders. Still today, God uses people as his servants. Amazingly, he uses people to help other people to believe in Christ for the first time, and then to believe in Christ more and more as disciples. Christian leaders are given different functions. the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it (v5,6). Paul was the one who first planted the seed. This means he preached the gospel in Corinth, and then gathered these new believers into a newly formed church. He pioneered the area with the gospel. Then Apollos, a great teacher, watered it. This means that, through his gift of teaching, he refreshed and vitalized the church with the wonderful truths of the Scriptures. Still today, some people are used by God especially in the area of reaching new people for Christ, and other people are used especially in the area of building these believers up. Christian leaders, though working in team, will be individually rewarded by God. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labour (v8). Though Paul and Apollos worked in team and had one purpose, yet each will stand before God alone for how faithfully they ministered to people and the church. This is a sobering thought. On this point it must be remembered that fruitfulness and fame are not always signs of faithfulness. One Christian leader may draw a massive gathering, yet be only partially faithful to what God has called them to. Another leader, perhaps working into a difficult part of the world in total obscurity, is faithful and yet bears little observable fruit. The latter leader will be more richly rewarded by God. Christian leaders carry the great privilege of collaborating with God, apart from whom there is no fruitfulness. but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow (v6-7). The results that are achieved in ministry namely, the transformation of human lives by the gospel of Jesus are absolutely impossible apart from Gods supernatural working in peoples lives. People cant transform other people in their depths. Only God can. Paul acknowledges that apart from God there would be no fruitfulness at all. God is the one who makes things grow. Still today, Christian leaders must put their trust not in their own gifting, or clever strategies, but rather in the sovereign grace of God. God sometimes

chooses to give one person remarkable results in his ministry, and yet chooses to limit the results in a similarly gifted person. Thats God for you. He is sovereign. Yet, what a great privilege it is to collaborate with him. For we are God's co-workers (v9). This is surely one of the great mysteries of the universe. God chooses to partner with ordinary, sinful people in changing lives and the world. He gives us the amazing honour of collaboration. God is committed to human instrumentality. Christian leaders understand that the church belongs to God, not to them. You are God's field, God's building (v8). In the previous verses, Paul described the church as a field of lives that were growing, and bearing fruit, under the gracious leadership of Christ and his servants. In the following verses (v10-17) he switches the analogy: he likens a church to a temple or a building. The point he makes here is that leaders and preachers are merely workers in the field and building. They do not own the church. It is Gods field. It is Gods building. It does not belong to any man, or even to any team of leaders!

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. The foundation of every church and believer should be Jesus Christ. Paul has just spoken of the church as Gods building or temple, and of himself as a co-worker in the building of the temple (v9). He has already said that his work as an apostle was the initial work of pioneer gospelpreaching that brought the church into existence in the first place (v6). Now he picks up on these two thoughts, and develops them. Paul was not self-appointed or self-powered to do this work of pioneer gospel-preaching. Rather, it was by the grace God (had) given him (v10). In Ephesians 3:8 he said something similar: Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph 3:8). Were told that when he came to Corinth, he devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 18:5). Pauls message was the gospel of Christ crucified for the salvation of the world. While in Corinth, he resolved to know nothing except Jesus and him crucified (2:2). He laid a foundation as a wise builder (v10). Gods grace made him good at what he did. Not that he was naturally skilled to do this. Rather the power of God made him supernaturally competent to do so. The chief wisdom God gave him was to build the church upon the foundation of Jesus Christ (v11). Gods plan for every church and every believer is that whatever growth and development takes place, it builds upon a secure, strong foundation: a revelation of Jesus Christ, both who he is and what he has accomplished on the cross. Someone else is building on it (v10). Apollos and possibly Peter both came and taught the Corinthian church after Paul founded it upon the gospel. The point Paul makes is that although there was more that the

church needed to be taught, the most important truths had already been taught. These other teachers were to make sure that they continued to emphasise and re-inforce the foundation that had already been laid. They were to build with care (v10), making sure that they kept a revelation of Christ central and foundational in the heart of the church, and every believer. Still today, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only valid basis upon which a church or a disciple is built. And although there is so much more that can be taught to them, and there are many ways they can develop and grow, this revelation must remain foundational to everything else. Christian leaders and preachers must keep the main thing (i.e. the gospel of Jesus Christ) the main thing. We are not free to deviate from this central emphasis For no one can (or may) lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (v11).

12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. The quality of every Christian leaders work and every Christian life will be tested. Once a church or a believer comes into being through the preaching of the gospel of Christ, it needs to develop more and more. A superstructure is built upon the foundation. This superstructure includes such things as the quality of worship, ministry, godliness, outreach and community that now comes about. Paul now warns all Christian leaders and preachers that as we seek to lead and grow Gods people, we need to remember that we may or may not be doing a good job. He uses the analogy of a temple being built partly with good, lasting building materials (i.e. gold, silver and costly stones) and partly with poor, short-lived building materials (i.e. wood, hay and straw). Obviously a good worker will only use good, lasting building materials. And, foolishly, an unwise worker will also include weak materials. Still today, Christian leaders must take care as they build (v10). They must diligently make sure that they build Gods people upon eternal values, using eternal wisdom, with constant reference to the gospel of Jesus. They should seek to help Gods people develop a quality of worship, ministry, godliness, outreach and community that is reflective of the gospel they believe, and Jesus Christ whom they worship and serve. There is coming the Day (i.e. Judgment Day) when the quality of every church and believer will be brought to light. It will be intensely scrutinized and evaluated by Christ. Gods judgment will be like a fire that tests the quality (v13). This, of course is greatly sobering to every Christian leader, and to every Christian. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it

is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be savedeven though only as one escaping through the flames. Every Christian leader and every Christian is promised reward, or is threatened with loss on that Day. God carefully examines and evaluates the quality of the Christian leaders ministry and the quality of every Christian life. His judgment will finally be executed on Judgment Day. Like a fire that burns a building, leaving behind only the good-quality, long-lasting material (i.e. gold, silver, precious stones) and destroying the lesser quality materials (i.e. wood, hay, straw), so on Judgment Day all will be revealed. Christ will reward those Christians and Christian leaders who built their lives and ministries well! What does it mean to be rewarded? It means Christ will honour what is his. We, along with all our critics and friends, will hear him say to say us, Well done! We may be entrusted with greater responsibilities in eternity. And we will have our eyes opened to see the amazing eternal effects of our faithful lives and ministries. But when we as Christians and Christian leaders have built poorly and unwisely, we will suffer loss. It will be very painful to realize that we wasted so many opportunities. We will be filled with intense regret for our lack of faithfulness to Christ. There certainly will be degrees of loss experienced, depending on our levels of unfaithfulness. Paul, in warning against wasted efforts that use the wrong materials, uses the image of someone narrowly escaping the burning down of the flammable building they had built (v15). Will Christians and Christian leaders receive either reward or loss, or is there the possibility that some will receive both. Reward for those parts of their lives and ministries that were built well, and loss for those parts that were built badly. This is speculation, but I believe that most Christians will probably experience part reward and part loss. Since we cannot lose our salvation, Paul is quick to add at this point that he is not speaking about the loss of salvation here. He says, The builder will suffer loss but yet will be savedeven though only as one escaping through the flames (v15). We will be like someone whose home (all that we lived and worked for) is burnt down and we have nothing to show for it. We survive, and still experience the wonders of an eternal home with Christ (where we are welcomed into the arms of Christ), but we forfeit all or some of the honour and commendation that Christ would have preferred to have given us. We cannot lose our salvation, but we can lose all or part of our reward. These are greatly sobering truths for every Christian and Christian leader. Let us give ourselves to a life and ministry that is truly built upon Christ. Let us live a life (and exercise a ministry) that is worthy of the calling we have received (Eph 4:1). 16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for God's temple is sacred, and you together are that

temple. Dont mess with the church. The church belongs to God. It is his temple. He lives in it by the Spirit (v16). When we consider the city of Corinth this point becomes more amazing. The most dominant religions present in Corinth each had their own impressive temples. For example, the city of Corinth was built around a hilltop called the Acrocorinth, upon which a massive temple to Aphrodite existed. There were also the great temples to Poseidon, Apollo, Demeter and Isis. Yet the Christian church had no physical temple. Thats because they themselves were the temple! You together are that temple (v17). Yet, as we have seen in verses 12-15, God has chosen to co-build this temple with ordinary human beings who can either be faithful or unfaithful in how they build. The tragic danger is that we can even destroy Gods temple. That is what the Corinthian Christians were doing. Through their divisiveness and preoccupation with worldly wisdom and prestige, they were greatly undermining the witness of Christ in their city. At that time, many of the great temples in the city stood in ruin. So the picture of a temple in a state of destruction was a very effective one. Paul echoes the warning of verse 15 to the Corinthians that if they destroy the church and its witness to Christ, then God himself will destroy them. This doesnt mean they will lose their salvation, but it means that on that Day they will pay for it by the loss of all reward. They will have their eyes opened to the great waste, ruin and unfaithfulness that marked their lives. Let us do all we can to live lives, and to build the church, so that it is truly worthy and reflective of the foundation upon which it is built: Jesus Christ. Let us be faithful at being part of the temple itself (You together are that temple (v17)) and let us faithfully build the church, and put on show the glory of Christ to a watching world. Whatever we do, lets not mess with the church. If we do, we mess with God himself. 18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become "fools" so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; 20 and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." Beware of letting the ungodly values and perspectives of our culture infiltrate the church. One sure way to destroy the churchs witness in a city is for that church to be infiltrated by some of the citys ungodly values and perspectives. In these verses, Paul once again picks up on the point he made in 1:17-21. The church in Corinth had been seduced by the cultures great trust in eloquence, so-called wisdom and impressive orators. The people of Corinth trusted in their intelligence, and in those who seemed to be the most intelligent. And these so-called intelligent people of Corinth proudly

enjoyed the great admiration they received. Yet, this so-called intelligence was really folly. It promoted self-salvation schemes, none of which worked. And yet the church had become deceived and started reflecting the pride and intellectual arrogance of their culture. So Paul reminds them that the standards and this age (v18) and the wisdom of the world are really foolish especially from Gods perspective (or in Gods sight(v19)). In fact God actively resists intellectual pride (He catches the wise in their craftiness). And God deems intellectual pride to be totally useless (He knows that thoughts of the wise to be futile). The best thing is to reject the cultures misplaced trust entirely. This may make the church look foolish from the cultures perspective. But in reality it is the wisest thing to do. You should become "fools" so that you may become wise. What would the wise thing to do be? Answer: to refuse to let the ungodly values and perspectives of our culture to infiltrate the churchs thinking and motivation.

21 So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the futureall are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. Beware of small-mindedness; were meant to live with a sense of expansiveness. The church had divided over which Christian leader they felt was most impressive. How unnecessary! To boast in human leaders is a total waste of time. First, it is a sign weve been seduced by our cultures tendency to elevate impressive individuals over others (see v18-20). Second, as Christians we can enjoy the benefits of all the Christian leaders. All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (v21-22). Still today, God doesnt want us to compare Christian leaders. We are able to enjoy the ministry of all of them. If we only ever expose ourselves to one Christian leader or preacher, we miss out on so much else that God would want to show us. Having said that, let me add a pastoral note: we must still be discerning which voices we listen to. In an age of unlimited exposure to Christian preachers through television channels, the internet and books, we run the risk of being blown here and there by every wind of teaching (Ephesians 4:14). All things are yours, whether the world or life or death or the present or the futureall are yours (v21-22). These words are poetic in nature. The Corinthians had become small in their thinking. By squabbling over which leader they most liked, they were behaving like chickens. This line calls them to enjoy the expansiveness that was theirs in Christ. He was calling them to be more like eagles, enjoying the great panorama of salvation and kingdom life that is ours to enjoy The world is ours. As Christians, we must realize that if everything belongs to God (The earth is the Lords and everything in it (Psalm 24:1)), and we are Gods child, then we are free to enjoy the whole world, much like a child gets to enjoy their own backyard. Although we need to avoid

worldly wisdom, we still get to enjoy life on our planet, as well as the best parts of our culture. Life is ours. As Christians, we trust that God is totally sovereign over the circumstances of our lives. Not only that, he is the source of life, and he regenerates us with the liveliness of his Spirit, now and forever. Death is ours. In the words of George Herbert: I no longer fear death. Before I was a Christian, death was an executioner whom I feared. But now, death is a gardener, who plants me into the ground so that I can experience a whole new life in my resurrection body. I welcome death. The present is ours. Already now, Christ rules. As we enjoy and submit to his rule, we participate with him in what he is doing in this world. We rest in the total control of God. Nothing will happen that catches God off guard. And he will work all things for good. The future is ours. God will win. The devil and rebellious humankind will lose. As Christians, we are privileged to be in the hand of Christ the Victor, who promises to hold onto us forever. After all, we are of Christ, who himself is of God (v23). This is why the Father shares all things with his Son, who in turn shares all things with us (except for his deity). What a wonderful honour to be invited into this sense of expansiveness and privilege! Let us not squabble like chickens, but rather soar as eagles. 5) SIX QUALITIES THAT GOD WANTS IN EVERY CHRISTIAN (4:1-17) In chapter 4 of Corinthians, we learn six very important things about life as a Christian, life in the church, and life for those who are Christian leaders. We learn about the need for faithfulness, living before the audience of One, humility, God-reliance, imitation and repentance

1 Corinthians 4
The Nature of True Apostleship 1 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. Faithfulness: Ministry and Christian leadership is about being a servant and a steward. Some people in the church seemed to idolize Paul, and other people were extremely unimpressed with him. Still today, churches dont always know what to do with their leaders. Should they highly honour them, and treat them as someone famous? Or should they try keep them humble by treating them poorly? Thats why Paul teaches us how to correctly regard Christian leaders and preachers. We notice a few things in how to correctly perceive those who have spiritual authority in our midst: Christian leaders are merely servants. They take orders from Christ, their master. They are primarily responsible to him, not to the people that they minister to. They are to act under Gods direction, showing no hesitation as they do the thing they are appointed to do. Obviously, they are accountable to the people they lead with regard to how faithful they are

being to God. But, it is not fear of man, but rather obedience to God that is the driving force in all they do. Christian leaders are stewards. They have been entrusted with something. In those days, in wealthier homes, the father would entrust the managing of his household to a steward, who was to do exactly what the father asked him to do, and to give account for all that he was entrusted with. The parallel to church leadership is obvious. Leadership is a sacred trust from God, who also provides some serious instructions, and requires accountability for faithfulness to those instructions. Christian leaders are to manage the mysteries God has revealed. This refers to the gospel message, the teaching about Christ and salvation, and all the doctrines now recorded for us in the Bible. It is not our job to come up with new, interesting truth. Rather, we are to protect, preserve and promote the truth of Gods Word. It is the most valuable thing a person could ever be trusted with. What a privilege, and what a responsibility. Christian leaders must prove faithful. Neither the church they serve, nor the truth they teach belongs to them. Rather the church and the message belong to God. The Christian leader must very diligently, loyally and faithfully ensure that they look after what has been entrusted to them.

3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of people's hearts. At that time each will receive their praise from God. Audience of One: Its what God thinks that really matters. Many in the church in Corinth were very critical of Paul. And Paul had often been judged and condemned by human courts in various cities. People didnt always agree with him. And many hated him. But Paul had made a choice not to be affected by peoples opinions of him. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court (v3). He decided to only be concerned about what God thought of him. Still today, we must make a choice to be concerned about what God thinks of us, and not what people (whether Christians or non-Christians) think of us. We are not to be overly impressed by either criticism or praise from people. This does not mean that we must not be open to their feedback (just think how Paul was giving critical feedback to the church in Corinth in this letter), but that if what they say about us or to us is clearly contrary to what God says about us or to us, then we should hold onto Gods perspective rather. This is sometimes described as living before the Audience of One. It takes courage. But it is the way of freedom from the fear of man. Interestingly, Paul also made a choice to not be a self-critical, overly introspective person. Indeed, I do not even judge myself (v3). Although he did do his best to do what God wanted him to do, and to do it with God-honouring motives (which is why he could say, My conscience is

clear), he realized that his own ability to evaluate himself was far inferior to Gods ability to evaluate him. He humbly says in effect: I feel innocent, but I acknowledge I might not be innocent. But the time will come when God will expose to me what is truly in my heart. Still today, we must do our best to check our own motives. But we must not be crippled by an overly self-critical introspection. Were as incapable at doing spiritual self-surgery on our spiritual heart, as a person is incapable of doing physical self-surgery on their physical heart. We depend on the Surgeon of the Holy Spirit. Rather we can pray to God, Lord, I will do my best to check my motives. But my ability to discern my own sinful attitudes is greatly limited. I need you to show me when I am out of line. I am open to any corrections you might want to bring. Along with David, in Psalm 139:23-24, we can pray, Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. I know that youre the Judge of my life. And that ultimately, on that Day, everything in my heart will be fully and finally exposed. And if my heart is as pure in motive as I think it is, then I will receive praise from you, the one before whom I live my life. Of course, Pauls instruction to judge nothing before the appointed time (v5) needs to be qualified by other things Paul is saying in this letter. For example, he has already said that the person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things (2:15). God wants us to live very discerningly. When someone acts in a way that is clearly contrary to Gods character or to some Scriptural instruction we can say, That is a wrong behaviour. When someone believes and teaches something that is clearly incompatible with the gospel, we can say, That is a wrong belief. The area where we need far more humility is in discerning peoples motives. Indeed, God may help us discern motives in people (as he helped Samuel in 1 Kings 4 to do so), but we must be very humble in this regard, because many of our attempts to discern motives will be both premature and presumptuous. On That Day, when what is in the hearts of people is clearly revealed, were in for some surprises! Until then we do our best to live before the Audience of One.

6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? 8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reignand that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! Humility: Pride is simply unacceptable in a Christian. The church in Corinth was full of pride. Specifically this was seen in the

way that many of them were elevating certain spiritual leaders over others. There emerged a certain pecking order in the church. People had been seduced by Corinths preoccupation with prestige and selfimportance. Paul gives three arguments that show that pride is simply unacceptable: 1) Pride is unacceptable because the Scriptures say it is (v6). Paul had a saying he used to use: Do not go beyond what is written. What does he mean? Answer: it means, Take the Scriptures seriously dont ignore them. As we look back on his letter so far, we see that he has already quoted from the Old Testament many times (1:19, 1:31, 2:9, 2:16, 3:1920). Most of these quotes have to do with the futility and sinfulness of pride. In other words, he is saying, Take what the Scriptures say about pride seriously, then you will not be puffed up. 2) Pride is unacceptable because everything we have comes from God anyway (v7). For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? If what we have whether it is our talents or opportunities or resources was truly and exclusively self-generated, then we could boast. But they are not. Though the secularist would miss this point, the Christian must never forget that all that we have comes from God. 3) Pride is unacceptable because it is based on the lie that we have arrived (v8). Paul uses sarcasm to make his point. He overstates how amazing they are as a church they have all they want, they have become rich, they reign and they did this all on their own. In verse 10, he continues with the same line of sarcasm: We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honoured, we are dishonored! Of course, this is not true. The church was actually in a shambles. They had not arrived at all. But, when we get proud we allow such self-grandiose thoughts to take root in our minds. It is true that we are already seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6). Nonetheless, as long as we live in this fallen world and in these fragile bodies we cannot fully arrive at all! It is only in heaven that we finally arrive and begin to truly reign. If we remember that we will be partially flawed until we get to heaven, well be less inclined to pride.

9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honoured, we are dishonoured! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the worldright up to this moment. God-reliance: God tends to bring us to a place of great dependence on

him. The Corinthian church were proudly boasting of their own strength. They greatly valued strength, honour, prestige and fame. In these verses, Paul, using strong sarcasm and irony, responds to their pride by saying that God has led the apostles (who were meant to be the embodiment of the Christian faith) in the exact opposite direction! He lists several descriptions of how faith in Jesus has removed strength, honour, prestige and fame God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena (v9). Whenever Rome conquered an enemy, the victorious General would march back into Rome with a procession behind him. First, the triumphant army. Second, the conquered booty. And lastly, the defeated soldiers who were about to be killed in the arena for all to see. Paul felt this was an apt picture of how the leaders of the world had treated the apostles. They had been made a spectacle of before the whole universe, to angels as well as human beings. The life of an apostle was often marked by hunger, thirst, poverty, being brutally treated, and homelessness (v11). Although in the Greek culture of the day, only slaves tended to do manual labour, yet the apostles also worked hard with their hands in order to earn an income to survive. Yet God seemed to supernaturally enable to respond to this ill-treatment in the opposite spirit: When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly (v1213). The lesson is this: God-reliance led to Christ-likeness. When we relate to God with greater dependence, then we tend to relate to people with greater Christ-likeness. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the worldright up to this moment (v13). Paul uses one more analogy to show how the world tended to treat the apostles. They were treated like scum, and like garbage. With these words, Paul was trying to alert them (and us) to the reality that God does not want to lead us to a place of boastful self-reliance, but rather to a place of humble God-reliance. And sometimes he does this by increasingly the challenges we face in our lives and ministry. Difficult times are inherently humbling. They drive us to our knees in humble Godreliance, which is also the place of spiritual power. Paul's Appeal and Warning 14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. Imitation: God wants us to learn from and become role models in the faith. Paul had just shamed them (v6-13). They would have been embarrassed as

they read this. But Paul makes it clear that he is motivated by love: I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children (v14). Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel (v15). A guardian was a child-minder who would tell children what to do, but not from a heart of fatherly concern. There seemed to be many people telling the church what to do, but Paul suggests that theyre not doing it with fatherly love. In contrast, he is a father to them. He led them to Christ, and he served them for 18 months before leaving. He deeply cared about them. He reminds them of the unique role that he played in their life as a father. Therefore I urge you to imitate me (v15). One of the main responsibilities of fathers toward children is to practice what they preach. It is to set an example of how to live. The same is true of spiritual fathers and mothers. Not only should they instruct people how to live. They should also demonstrate it with their lives. The Corinthian church had begun to view the great leaders and orators of the city of Corinth as their role models. Rather, they should model their life upon someone who really cares for them. It seemed that Pauls example of lifestyle had grown dim in their memories. So he had sent Timothy to them. Timothy, a junior partner to Paul, had been so greatly fathered by Paul that he reflected his way of life. He would remind them of Pauls way of life (v17). Still today, we need more than great teaching. We need father- and mother-like examples of people who practice what they preach who can model for us how to live. This is an important aspect to how we grow in Christ-likeness. Not only should we seek out such role models. We should seek, like young Timothy did, to become such role models to others. Setting examples of Christ-likeness and imitating Christ-like people is a major means to substantially growth as disciples of Jesus.

6) RESPONDING TO SIN IN THE CHURCH AND WORLD (4:18-5:13) 18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit? If we dont repent, then Christian leaders need to lovingly, yet powerfully, confront us. Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you (v18). Paul had been away for some years already. This had emboldened people who did not like Paul to speak against him more and more. They even suggested that Paul was too afraid to come back. These same people were the ones who seemed to be the cause of the divisiveness and arrogance that was taking root in the church.

But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have (v19). Paul now expresses his plan to come to the church. He will deal with these people head on. He is interested in what power they have. Paul is in effect saying, Yes they may have a lot to say, but do they have Gods power at work through their lives? Are they able to bring the church into Gods blessing? Are they able to draw unbelievers to trust in Christ, and then to be transformed in character? For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power (v20). Life as a Christian and as a church is life under the dynamic leadership of God. This is what is meant by the phrase kingdom of God here. When a church lives under Gods dynamic leadership, more is experience than mere talk and ideas. Gods liberating, life-changing power and leadership is at work. Paul suggests that he himself is an agent of this dynamic, liberation, lifechanging leadership of God. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit? (v21). Paul hopes not to have to confront anyone when he arrives. He hopes that this letter brings about repentance in these arrogant people, and in the entire church. But if they do not repent, he warns them that Gods power will work through him in face-to-face confrontation. He shall come, metaphorically speaking, with a rod of discipline, a stick used by a shepherd in those days to discipline disobedient sheep. However, if they do repent before he comes, then he will able to express love and gentleness, which is certainly what hed prefer to do. Still today, God gives leaders spiritual authority and power to lead Gods people. As they care for the people they oversee with a fatherly or motherly concern, there will be times when some confrontation may be needed. No leader enjoys this, but for the sake of the wellbeing of the church, lack of repentance in any of Gods people must be confronted. It is much better that Gods people stay humble, repentant when necessary, and teachable before God. This way no discipline or confrontation is needed in the first place.

1 Corinthians 5
Dealing With a Case of Incest 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man has his father's wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? Serious sin (that is not repented of) is seriously intolerable in the church. In the letter so far, Paul has confronted the sin of pride which had manifested in divisiveness and quarrelling. He has just said that he intended to strongly deal with the people who were especially guilty of this (4:18-21). Now he immediately addresses another sin that he has heard has taken root in their church: sexual sin. It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a

kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man has his father's wife (v1). The word sexual immorality here means any kind of sexual sin. In this case, one of the men in the church is having an affair with his stepmother. It seems his father had taken a second wife who was probably younger than his mother, and somehow he is having an affair with her. Although Greek culture, especially in Corinth, was tolerant of all kinds of sexual perversity, even this was unacceptable. Yet, shockingly, the church seemed to tolerate it. More than tolerating it, they even seemed to be proud of it. Perhaps some people were commending this adulterous man for his achievement. Shouldn't you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? (v2). All sexual sin is intolerable. Rather than tolerating it, or being proud of it, we should mourn. Sexual sin offends the holiness of God. It wounds the heart of God. It damages people involved. In undermines the witness of the entire church! People in the church should have lovingly, yet firmly confronted this man, urging him to repent. If he had refused to repent, they should have asked him to leave the church. The tragedy was not so much that one man was in sin. The real tragedy was the churchs failure to do anything about it. Their overall passiveness toward such serious sin revealed their frighteningly low regard for sexual purity in the first place!

3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. 4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the sinful nature so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. Serious sin (that is not repented of) needs to be seriously disciplined in the church for the sake of that person. Paul instructs the church to discipline the man who is sinning in this way, and yet seems to be unrepentant. He writes, For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this (v3). Although Paul is absent physically, yet his spirit is present. This is not a reference to astral projection. It simply means that his authority is present in the form of this letter. Pauls decision on the matter is based on a solid evaluation (or judgment) of the situation. This evaluation is based on the spiritual authority that Christ has given him to be an apostle of this church, hence his reference to in the name of our Lord Jesus. In the name of our Lord Jesus here means on behalf of Christ, and in a way that is reflective of Christs character. So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan (v4-5). Pauls instruction is clear: the next time the church gathers they must deal with this man on behalf of Paul (who is an apostle of the church) and on behalf

of the Lord Jesus who, though invisible, is powerfully present. How are they to deal with the man? They are to hand this man over to Satan (v5). What does this mean? It means, since your attempts to stop him from sinning havent worked, stop seeking this mans restoration from the sin Satan has lured him into; instead take the drastic action of letting him sin as much as he wants by putting him out of the church, beyond the spiritual care, cushioning and covering of the community. Obviously, when someone is in serious sin, fellow-Christians need to first lovingly urge that person to repent. It is only if, after repeated attempts by several people and by the leadership team, this person still refuses to repent that this more drastic action needs to take place (see Jesus teaching on this regard in Matthew 18:15-17). This is not a case of spiritual control by unloving policeman-like Christians and Christian leaders. Rather it is broken-hearted brothers and sisters fighting to pull a fellowbrother out of the jaws of Satans lure, and eventually coming to terms with the fact that possibly the best way to win that person back is to let Satan have him. But how can this be any good for the person, we might ask. Paul explains Paul explains why the church should ask the man to stop coming to the church gatherings, and instead let Satan have him for the destruction of the sinful nature (v5), which means that he experiences 1) the harsh realities of his choice to disobey Christ, and 2) the terrible consequences of his sinfulness. Let me look at each of these briefly: 1) Usually a person who refuses to repent of their sin does so because they dont really believe that Christ has a problem with their sin. This is selfdeception of course. By telling the person that they can no longer enjoy the comfort and cushioning of Christian community, it drastically highlights to that person that Christ does not tolerate their sin. 2) Sin tends to over-promise yet under-deliver. When someone gives themselves over to sin (and to Satan for that matter), it is usually quite exciting or satisfying initially, but eventually a deep emptiness emerges in ones soul, and the consequences of the sin start to be felt. Paul hopes this will be the case with this man. Interestingly, Jesus story of the Prodigal Son is a classic example of this happening (see Luke 15:11-19). When Paul says, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord (v5), he is not suggesting that this man has lost his salvation and hopes that his salvation will be regained. He is speaking about the mans future restoration. The word saved also means rescued or restored. Paul hopes that, before the end of this mans life, he will be restored to obedience and church-life. He is saying in effect, The best long-term hope you have of restoring this man to a life of obedience, and churchinvolvement, is to put him out of the church for now. Many biblical theologians, believing that a section in Pauls next letter to the Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11, refers to this same man, believe that we have evidence that indeed this man did repent, and was warmly accepted back into the community. Still today, serious sin (that is not repented of) needs to be seriously disciplined in the church. This must be done with utmost care and in the wisdom of Christ and the Spirit. There is no formula for dealing with the

unrepentant sinner, but from these verses we can draw some key insights. 6 Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Serious sin (that is not repented of) needs to be seriously disciplined in the church for the sake of the entire church. If someone refuses to face his sin, the church must face it for him, for his sake and for the sake of the entire church. Paul reminds them that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. This simply means that a little bit of sin that is not dealt with in one person eventually spreads its way through more and more people in the church until that sin pervades the culture of the entire church. It would be like saying, a little cancer spreads through the whole body. Paul explains that the man is not just to be asked to leave the church for his own sake, but for the sake of the entire church. What we tolerate dominates. If we tolerate sin in our church then we will be dominated by that sin. An example of how this may happen is this: one person sees someone in the church getting away with sin, and yet still enjoying the comfort and cushioning of community and thinks to themselves, I can have the best of both worlds why cant I enjoy sin and Christ at the same time? We have been saying that where there is serious sin that a person will not repent of, excommunication (i.e. asking a person to leave the church until such time as they repent) may be the best option. But what is the difference between sin and serious sin? Obviously all sin is serious since it clashes with the character of God. However, some sins are far more damaging to the wellbeing and witness of a church than other sins. It is these sins that may lead to the drastic measure of excommunication (i.e. asking a person to leave the church until such time as they repent). Verse 11 gives a list of examples: those Christians who refuse to repent of being sexually immoral or greedy, idolaters or slanderers, drunkards or swindlers. To this list we can add false teaching, and divisiveness (Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him (Titus 3:10)). 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batchas you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. All sin and compromise must be repented of because it is incompatible with Christs salvation and our new identity in Christ. After introducing the metaphor of yeast in verse 6, Paul picks up the original use of yeast as a metaphor for compromise. When God rescued the Jews from Egypt in 1300BC during the first-ever Passover meal, he did so by providing a sacrificial lamb for each family. During that Passover

meal he instructed them to eat bread without yeast (see Exodus 12:1420). The symbolism was clear even then: yeast represented the morally compromised life they had lived in Egypt. In other words, salvation by the blood of a lamb was connected to freedom from sin. All of this foreshadowed the coming of Christ. In the same way that the Jews were saved by the blood of a sacrificial lamb, so Christians are saved by the blood of a sacrificial lamb. That lamb is Christ, our Passover lamb (v7). We are saved by sheer grace! Christ, though innocent, took the punishment we, though guilty, deserve. But this salvation is not just about being let off the hook. It is about being transformed. It is about a new ability to be free from past compromise. Jesus didnt just die to forgive ours sins. He also died to break the power of sin in our lives. That is why Christians are to get rid of the old yeast (v7), which is a reference to the compromises of our lives before we became Christians. Although the Jews re-enacted the Passover Festival once a year, we as Christians need to keep it everyday. Paul, in the present tense, says Let us keep the Festival (v8). Specifically, he means that we refuse the compromises that used to mark our lives before we were saved. We refuse malice and wickedness. And we embrace sincerity and truth instead. Summarily, all sin and compromise must be repented of because it is incompatible with Christs salvation. The most powerful words in these verses, in my opinion, are as you really are (v7). Paul tells us to be unleavened bread because we already have been made unleavened bread by Christs death. This is the secret of godliness. We must realize that Christs salvation has already given us a new identity. We are no longer under the domain of sin and Satan. We are now under the reign of Christ. We are no longer sinful in Christs sight. We have been made the righteousness of Christ (2 Cor 5:21). Now let us be in everyday life what we already have been made in Christ. We are to live compatibly with our new identity in Christ. Summarily, all sin and compromise must be repented of because it is incompatible with our new identity in Christ.

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with any who claim to be fellow believers but are sexually immoral or greedy, idolaters or slanderers, drunkards or swindlers. With such persons do not even eat. 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked person from among you." We must challenge flagrant sin in fellow-believers. Notice the sins mentioned: sexual immorality, greed (the obsessive hunger for more money), swindling (stealing with violence), slandering

(assassinating peoples characters with ones words), idolatry (the worship of idols) and drunkard-ness (the abuse of substances). How do we respond to a Christian who sins in these ways, and yet still professes to love Christ? We need to lovingly confront them. If they do repent, then we need to lovingly restore them (see Galatians 6:1-2). If they refuse to repent, we need to ask them to remove themselves from the community until they do repent. This is what is meant by the refusal to eat with them (v11). We are to expel the wicked person from among us (v13). This is for their sake (in the hope they repent), as well as for the sake of the community. The wellbeing and the witness of the church is at stake. Obviously, this must be done very wisely, and should certainly involve mature pastoral leadership in the process. But, what if the person is a new or particularly vulnerable Christian who, though wanting to be free, is still entangled in their sin? This is very different to the flagrant sinner who does not want to be free from sin at all. Obviously we deal very differently with these kinds of Christians. Very often a person can become entangled in sin and we cannot expect this person, through sheer resolution or a single moment of repentance to be free. Those caught in sin need unusual amounts of grace, encouragement and compassion, as well as a lot of help while those of us who are spiritual seek to gently restore them (Galatians 6:1).

We generally should not challenge sin in non-believers. Paul had written a pervious letter to them urging them to not associate with sexually immoral people. Now he explains that he only refers to Christian immoral people, not all immoral people. We are to respond to sin in Christians very differently to how we respond to sin in nonChristians. The main insight from these verses is that we should be ready to challenge and restore Christians who are in flagrant sin, but generally should not challenge the sin of non-Christians. Our job is not to preach morality to non-Christians. Rather, our job is to preach the gospel to them (as Paul will later explain in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23). We really should not be surprised that unsaved sinners sin without repentance. Mainly, they do not need us to teach them the Ten Commandments of Moses. Mainly, they need us to proclaim to them the salvation available through Christ. It is only once they experience the miracle of new birth that they will start to experience deep changes within that make it possible to morally change in the first place. This does not mean that what they do is right. Obviously it is not and God himself will judge all sin in all non-Christians too (God will judge those outside (v13)). It just means that we fight the wrong battle if we put our energies into trying to modify their behaviour, rather than pointing them to Christ who alone can deeply transform them. Not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world (v10). When Paul tells the church to ask those in flagrant sin to leave the church, he does not mean that the church should now disassociate with all people in flagrant sin. Not at all. Only those who profess to love Christ. But when a person does not profess to be saved and to love Christ, we should not be surprised that they are in flagrant sin.

And we should not seek to avoid them. Indeed we should even make an effort to build relationship with them. There are two main reasons that we should not avoid non-Christians: Firstly, Jesus taught us that we are called to live out our faith in this world as salt and light (see Matthew 5:13-16). We are to engage in culture. We are to embody and promote godliness, justice, beauty, truth, wisdom and love in a world starved of these things. Pauls vision of the church was that it would separate itself from the sin of the people and culture, but not from the people and culture itself. Whenever a church, in the quest for holiness, disengages itself from the culture it finds itself in, it is not faithful to its call to be salt and light. Salvation is not meant to make us holier-than-though separatists. Salvation is meant to make us powerful agents of change in the world. Secondly, if we do not meet and build relationship with non-Christian people, then we greatly reduce our influence upon them. For example, when Paul first came to Corinth, it appears that he made a real effort to build a relationship with a nonChristian couple that shared his same skill of tent-making and that, through this friendship with them, they came to Christ (Acts 18:2-3). What if Paul, fearing contamination by this couple chose rather to avoid them totally? They would not have found Christ. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? (v12). Our responsibility to the world is to treat them with love (even if they hate us) and to preach the gospel to them. Our responsibility to each other in the church is to encourage and help each other live compatibly with the gospel we believe. That is whats meant by the phrase, judging those inside. The word judge here does not refer to a judgmental attitude, which itself must be repented of. Rather, it refers to a readiness to discern and challenge flagrant sin in each others lives that is incompatible with our salvation.

7) CONFLICT AND COMPROMISE IN THE CHURCH (6:1-11)

1 Corinthians 6
Lawsuits Among Believers 1 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord's people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord's people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! As Gods people, we must learn to wisely and effectively deal with conflicts that arise within our church community. If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord's people? (v1) Paul mentions something else he has heard about the church in Corinth: there have been some conflicts that have got so bad that they have resulted in one man suing another man in the public courts of law. Paul is horrified:

do you dare (v1), he asks. But why is he horrified? Firstly, he is horrified that the church was unable to intervene in and deal with conflict between these two believers. Or do you not know that the Lord's people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! (v2-3). Paul reminds them that they are saints. They are the people of God. They are the ones who reign with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6). In the future Judgment, as mysterious as it may seem, we will even participate with Christ as he judges the entire world (the word world here refers to the fallen world of sinners), and angels (probably referring to fallen angels). This is mind-blowing. Paul is seeking to alert them and us to who we are we are the people of Christ, the people of the future age! But the point he makes is this: if you are going to be making such massive judgments in the future age, surely God will provide the wisdom and courage you need to deal with these relatively minor issues? Still today, as Gods people, we must learn to access Gods provision of wisdom and courage in dealing with complex conflict situations that arise within our churches. Note that Paul is not saying that as Christians we should not use courts of law to sue people who have wronged us. After all, Paul used law-courts when necessary (see Acts 16:37-39 and 25:10-12). But Paul does have a problem when Christians take other Christians to court. On this point, there are obviously varying degrees of wrongdoing. If it is a serious crime that is being dealt with, then it would be illegal to not use a court of law.

4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother goes to law against anotherand this in front of unbelievers! 7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? As Gods people, we must learn to deal with conflicts in our church in a way that does not undermine our churchs witness to the world. Paul is horrified that one believer would take another believer to court (v1). The first reason he is horrified, which we see in verses 2-3, is that surely Gods people have the capacity to handle the situation. Now we see the second reason he is horrified: it undermines the witness of the church in Corinth. If the church are saints or Gods people (v2), we must remember that those outside of Christ and the church are unredeemed. Paul is not saying that the judges in Corinth will give a bad judgment, just that, considering they are not saved, they could never resolve the dispute as effectively as the church could. But instead, one brother goes to law against anotherand this in front of

unbelievers! (v6). In Corinth, legal battles were waged publicly. The judgment seat was in the middle of the city marketplace. Much like some of the high-profile cases in our time, it was a kind of entertainment for the people of the city. How unwise it is to hang out our dirty laundry before the world were meant to shine into for Christ! The church of Corinth was meant to show the city the difference that Christ has made in their lives, and could make in the city. But instead, they showed that they were no different. The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already (v7). Regardless of whether a person won their case against a fellow-believer, they had already lost. Any individual gain they may have won in the court-case was dwarfed by the great loss that the entire church would experience, because of its loss of credibility in the city. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Paul suggests that, in this case, it would have been better if the person who sued their fellow-believer had dealt with it within the church. We also see from this verse that it appears that whoever this person was had been cheated out of some money. Paul argues, So you get your money back but at such a great cost, the cost of your churchs witness in Corinth! Rather to have lost money than to have lost the credibility of the gospel in your city!

8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor practicing homosexuals 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. It is common for a church to be tempted to surrender to the sins of its culture. Paul now moves from the particular to the general. He moves away from the two particular situations he had just addressed (namely, the man having an affair with his stepmother (5:1-13) and the man suing a fellowbeliever (6:1-7)). He now speaks about how unacceptable general moral compromise is in the life of the church. He mentions certain sins that were rife in the city of Corinth, and sadly seemed to be occurring in the many believers too. In verse 8 he speaks of those who cheat and wrong each other. In verses 9-10 he speaks of the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, practicing homosexuals, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers. This list of sins is not exhaustive (for example in Romans 1:26 he speaks of lesbian sex, whereas in this list he only mentions male homosexual sex). These sins are the classic sins of the city that seem to thrive in most cities in the world, where large numbers of people afford the anonymity that makes these sins possible. As a side note of current importance in the

church, we note that Paul, in his two descriptions of homosexuality, is not condemning a person with same-sex attraction who does not engage in homosexual sex. It is the action of gay sex, not the temptation to have gay sex, that is being condemned. Paul gives three reasons that flagrant sin is unacceptable in the life of a believer and the church

1) Flagrant sinning is unacceptable because it damages the church family. Sinning with or against a fellow-believer is a violation of the spiritual family. Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Paul is saying that it was one thing sinning with or against an unbeliever (which is bad!), but an even worse thing to sin with or against someone who is your spiritual brother or sister. 2) Flagrant sinning is unacceptable because it damages the reward God wants to give us. Twice in these verses, Paul warns that if we give ourselves over to sin that we will not inherit the kingdom of God (v9,10). What does he mean by this? Does he mean that if a Christian persists in sin that they will lose their salvation? Though many wrongly interpret it to mean that, the answer is no. Despite the fact that the Corinthian church had already persisted in sin, Paul no where in this letter questions their salvation. Instead he constantly affirms their salvation, despite their present compromise. So what does Paul mean by not inheriting the kingdom of God? The key is the word inherit, which is a common reference to the rewards that Christ longs to give every believer. Said concisely, our reward or inheritance consists of 1) a great experience of the kingdom in this life, 2) the privilege of being used by God in this life, and 3) receiving honour from Christ in the next life. Paul is saying that if we continue to sin, that we damage all that God has for us. Much like the man mentioned in 3:15, we will suffer loss and be saved, but only as one escaping the flames of judgment. The Christian who sins without repentance, will not lose their new birth, nor their justification in Gods sight. But they will lose part or all of their reward. What a tragic price to pay. Rather avoid and repent of all sin! 3) Sinning is unacceptable because it undermines the greatness of our salvation. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (v11). What powerful words. Paul reminds them that before they heard the gospel and received salvation that is what some of you were. In other words, salvation saves us out of our past lifestyles of sin, no matter how serious and perverse those sins were. Notice how comprehensive this salvation is. It includes being washed. When were saved, our hearts are washed by the cleansing act of the Spirit, and our consciences made clean. It includes being sanctified. When were saved,

we now belong exclusively to God. He puts a new spiritual genetic of holiness inside of us that enables us to move toward righteousness and holiness. It includes being justified. When were saved, we are given a new standing before God. Be sheer grace, we are declared righteous in his sight not because of our moral performance, which is not very impressive at all, but because of Christs performance on our behalf. Also notice that all three persons of the Trinity are involved in our salvation: in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (v11). To keep on sinning as a Christian, and to make no effort to avoid or repent of sin, is to belittle the great salvation we have received. This verse is one of the most encouraging verses in the whole Bible. It reminds us that none of us is beyond redemption. Regardless of what sins and resulting devastation trail behind an unbeliever, salvation is available! Where sin increases, Gods grace increases all the more (Romans 5:20). That is what some of you were. Christ does not define us by the sin he saves us out of. Rather he redefines us by the transformational grace he saves us into!

8) THE GOSPEL AND SEX (6:12-7:7) What we believe determines how we live. Paul has just dealt with two specific situations in the church: 1) a man sleeping with his stepmother and 2) a man dragging another man before the legal courts. Now (verses 12-20), he deals with a third situation he has heard about: there are some men who think its fine to have sex with prostitutes. What is most striking about how he deals with this situation is that he deals with the faulty belief system behind the sin. What we believe determines how we live. The church in Corinth believed wrongly, and therefore lived wrongly. So when Paul deals with their sin, he does not just deal with their wrong behaviour. He deals with the wrong beliefs that support and cause the wrong behaviour. Specifically, he reminds them of specific aspects of the gospel message, and he applies those truths to their situation. We have something to learn here. Still today, we must deal with misbehaviour in Gods people not just by addressing the behaviour itself, but more importantly by addressing the false belief systems that gave rise to the behaviour in the first place. We must highlight those aspects of the gospel that address the issue, and then apply the logic of the gospel to the persons situation. Trying to change a persons behaviour without tackling a persons belief first only deals with symptoms. It is much like clearing away spider webs everyday, without killing the spider that is making those webs. Trying to change a persons behaviour without changing their underlying beliefs will, at best, bring about short-term results. Sexual Immorality 12 "I have the right to do anything," you saybut not everything is

beneficial. "I have the right to do anything"but I will not be mastered by anything. True freedom does not mean we can do what we want when we want with whom we want. Rather it means were able to pursue Gods best. Sadly, many in the church in Corinth were still sexually immoral. Shockingly, some men even visited prostitutes (v15-16). Instead of acknowledging that they were sinning, they justified what they were doing with theological arguments that they expressed in the form of two sayings. In each case Paul counter-argues. In this point let us look at their first argument... They argued, Everything is permissible for me or I have the right to do anything I want (v12). They basically argued that since Christ came to set them free from legalism, they could live like they wanted to. Probably, they used a one-liner that Paul had introduced to them, but misused it. Paul often taught that Christians were free in the area of non-essential things such as dietary laws, holy days and rituals. They were apparently misapplying one of his quotes. Paul counter-argues by saying, True freedom does not mean we can do what we want, rather it means being able to pursue Gods best. Paul challenges their misapplication of the freedom that was theirs in Christ. Though it is true that Christians are set free from petty religious and cultural laws, it is not true that Christians can now do as they please. The freedom that Christ gives enables us to truly pursue Gods best. It enables us to pursue what is beneficial (v12). We should ask, What will be most beneficial to ourselves, to others, to the church, and to our witness in the world? Christs freedom also enables us to live in such a way that we are not mastered by anything (v12). Sin, by nature, is addictive, after all. Whoever sins is a slave to sin, said Jesus (John 8:36). We are free, be we must use this freedom in a way that pursues Gods best for ourselves, and for others. Elsewhere, Paul says it like this: You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another humbly in love (Gal 5:13). 13 You say, "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both." The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. What we do with our body matters. There was a second argument or belief system, articulated in verse 13, which these compromising Christians used to justify sexual immorality. They argued: Food for the stomach and the stomach for the food and God will destroy them both (v13). Paul used to say that what foods they ate were not very important and so they should not worry about that. But, what they (wrongly) took from Pauls teaching was that the body was not very important to God. It appears that they embraced the popular Greek teaching that ultimately our body would be destroyed, but the soul would

go to be with God. In other words, they believed that the entire body, and what we do with our body, is not all that important to God. But how wrong they were! Paul quickly, and poetically articulates his counterarguments: First, he says that the body is meant for the Lord (v13). By this he means that Jesus wants us to consecrate and surrender our physical bodies to him. And a body consecrated to Christ means that we do his will and sexual immorality is not within the range of his will. Second, he says that the Lord is for the body (v13). By this he simply means that Christ is very interested in our bodies, and in what we do with them. Third, he says that By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also (v14). The Greeks, as taught by Plato, did not believe in the immortality of the body, but only in the immortality of the soul. But this was a wrong belief. As we shall see in 1 Corinthians 15, Gods plan is to provide resurrection bodies for all his people in the new heavens and the new earth, patterned after Christs own resurrection body. In the same way that God raised Jesus physical body from the dead, so he will one day do something similar for us. Pauls point is this: our bodies, and what we do with them, matter deeply to Christ.

15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Since we are united to Christ, let us not drag him into compromise with us. Allow me to introduce commentary on these verses with a similar analogy to the one Paul uses: When a man is married he is one with his wife. Imagine he sleeps with a prostitute. Not only is he cheating on his wife. He is, in a metaphoric sense, dragging his wife into that bed with the prostitute. Shocking! In these verses Paul makes a similar point, only he does not speak about the man being one with his wife, but rather being one with Christ. He drags Christ into the bed with him. Pauls word aptly describes his feelings about this: Never! (v15). Paul reminds us that as Christians, our bodies are members of Christ himself (v15). He is not referring to us being the church in this instance. Rather he means plainly that since we are one with Christ our bodies in a sense belong to him. Our physical bodies are joined to him. Not only that, but we are united with the Lord and therefore are one with him in spirit (v17). At salvation, we are fused into Christ himself. We are in Christ much like an arm is in a body, or a branch is in a vine. We are one with Christ. To have sex with anyone, including a prostitute, is not just a superficial physical encounter. The language Genesis 2:24-27 uses is that to have sex with someone is to become one flesh with them, which means to become

one person. (Although Paul does not make this point here, this insight explains why illicit relationships of a sexual nature are so difficult to be disentangled from sex is a powerful bonding agent.) The point Paul makes is: If you (including your body) are one with Christ, and then you become one with a prostitute, it is as though youre forcing Christ to be one with her! He is saying this as a shock tactic. Obviously, sexual union with a prostitute, though fleeting, does long-lasting damage to the experience of ones union with Christ. We cannot enjoy closeness to Christ and closeness to another person in illicit sex at the same time. These are incompatible unions. When we understand that we are one with Christ, in both spirit and body, we begin to realize that what we do with our body matters deeply! Christ is very interested in what we do with our body.

18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins people commit are outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin against their own bodies. Flee from sexual immorality. Flee from sexual immorality (v18). Some temptations need to be faced head on. But not sexual temptation. The only way to face sexual temptation is with our backs. We need to run for it. Much like Joseph ran from Potiphars wife, though it cost him, so we need to avoid sexual temptation. When it comes we must run for our lives. Im reminded of the story of Augustine who used to sleep around until he became a Christian. As a new Christian, he went on a trip somewhere and saw one of his past flings. She came running toward him, arms open, exclaiming, I have missed you so much. He turned his back and ran. She shouted, But its only me. He shouted back, But its not me anymore. By this he meant that since he was united to Christ, his old self had died. The point is that he fled. And we should flee too! All other sins people commit are outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin against their own bodies (v18). This is a very difficult phrase to understand because at face value it is inaccurate. After all, there are plenty of other sins that involve the body other than sexual sin. The most likely way of making sense of this is that Paul is, as he did twice in verse 12-13, quoting them, and negating their quote. If this is correct, it should be written as follows, You say, All other sins people commit are outside their bodies but I say, those who sin sexually sin against their own bodies. Read this way it means Paul is saying the following: You say, There is no such thing as a physical sin, because the body doesnt matter; only sins of the spirit matter, to which I respond, Sexual sin is clearly a sin that involves your body. In other words, he is merely summing up his argument in verses 14-17, the argument that what we do with our body deeply matters to Christ. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you

were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies. Honour God with your body. Weve already seen that our body, and what we do with it, deeply matters to Christ. Now Paul brings out two more aspects of the gospel to persuade us that the body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body (v13). Salvation involves the indwelling of the Spirit. Corinth had many temples. But the church in Corinth had none. This was because the church was the temple (see 3:16-17). In fact, not just the church community, but every individual Christians body was the dwelling place of God in Corinth. And today, the great and high God (who cannot even be contained in this vase universe) has amazingly chosen to live in us! The moment were saved, at that moment, we receive the Spirit. We are indwelt by the Spirit. We become his home. Since God lives in our bodies by his Spirit, we are to honour God with our body. The failure to do so is equivalent to the desecration of the Spirits temple. Salvation also involves the purchase of our lives. When Christ died on the cross, he did not just purchase our forgiveness. He purchased us. Before we belonged to sin, now we belong to him. You are not your own; you were bought at a price (v19-20). Christ has the redeemer-rights on our lives. When Christ made his entry into the city of Corinth through the preaching of the gospel, he did not choose to purchase any physical property. Rather he purchased people, and made them his home. Since God purchased us, we are to honour God with our bodies. The failure to so is equivalent to stealing what is not ours. Honour God with your bodies (v20). Although Paul has been specifically speaking about sexual sin, this truth can be applied to every aspect of our physical life. We need to honour God with our use of time, the natural care for our bodies, our self-discipline, and the surrendering of our eyes, ears, mouths, hands and feet to the will of God. Spurgeon urged us to a whole-hearted submission of our bodies to the will of God when he said, Before we knew Christ, we offered our bodies to sin like a stallion to a rider. Now that were privileged to draw the chariot of Christ, dare we be an idle, non-cooperative donkey?

1 Corinthians 7
Concerning Married Life 1 Now for the matters you wrote about: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together

again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. An instruction for married people: Regularly satisfy your spouse sexually. In the first six chapters of his letter Paul responds to reports he had received about what is going on in the church. From chapter 7-16 he starts to respond to the matters they wrote about (7:1, 7:25, 8:1, 12:1, 16:1 and 16:12)). They had sent Paul a letter with several questions, and now he seeks to answer that letter, question by question. The first question comes in the form of a statement: It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. What this statement means is this: Since were people of the Spirit, and since were not meant to be sexually immoral, then surely we must abstain from sex entirely, even in marriage? This question comes as a surprise after the mention of men visiting prostitutes in the preceding section. Most likely, as many commentators suggest, some super-spiritual married women in the church began to feel that since the body is not important (which was a wrong belief) that they could rightly deprive their husbands of sex. (This was very possibly another reason that some men used to justify their visiting of prostitutes.) Paul answers by insisting that, though sex outside of marriage is wrong, sex within marriage is right. Married partners must not deprive each other sexually (v2). It is the marital duty (v3) of married people to meet the sexual needs of their partner. Paul explains that since a married couple have made a covenant with each other that has made them one, each does not have authority over his/her own body and should rather yield it to the other (v4). A married person should remember that their body is not their own. In the covenant they have promised to yield it to each other. Of course this does not mean that a person is permitted to demand sex of their spouse. What it does mean is that a person should not deprive their spouse of sex. The emphasis is not on our right to have our sexual needs met by our spouse, but rather on our responsibility to meet the sexual needs of our spouse. A loving attitude, not just sexual desire, should motivate sex in marriage. Paul explains that there might by unusual times (but there certainly dont have to be any such times) where a married couple might agree to abstain from sex temporarily (with an end date set) in order to focus exclusively on prayer. But this must be by mutual consent, never imposed by one on the other. Generally, however Paul encourages regular sexual intimacy in marriage, lest sexual temptations outside of marriage become increasingly attractive. His words, I say this as a concession, not as a command(v6) let us know that fasting from sex is something that never needs to happen in a marriage. A satisfying, regular sex life in marriage is a very effective antidote to sexual temptation. Come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control (v5). We should restrain ourselves sexually outside of the marriage covenant, but we should not restrain ourselves sexually in marriage. There may be many things that make it difficult for marriage partners to fulfil this call to satisfy each other sexually. Emotional distance between

the couple, sickness, pregnancy, stress, lack of privacy, emotional problems (such as depression, or unhealed psychological wounds from sexual abuse), physical problems, and lack of understanding of anatomy and the processes of arousal, are common obstacles to satisfying sex. We should do our best, with Gods promised assistance, to overcome these obstacles. It may take time for a couple to develop a satisfying sex-life. But this end should be moved towards no matter how long it takes, and how much effort it requires. Certainly it is worth it. 7 I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. An instruction for single people: Remember that singleness is a gift and that Gods grace is available to you. Marriage is not a higher calling than singleness. Marriage is a gift from God. But so is singleness. Certainly, marriage is Gods normal pattern for people (see Genesis 2:14). But singleness, especially in a fallen age, is Gods plan for many people. Some people will be called by God to be single their entire lives. Others will be single just for a season of their lives. This teaching concurs with Christs teaching in Matthew 19:10-12 where he explains that some people would be called (and enabled) to be single, and others to be married. Paul has already told us that sexual temptation was very common in their city by saying that sexual immorality is occurring (v1). And of course, one major way of avoiding sexual immorality is to get married, and have a satisfying sex life in marriage (v2-6,9). But Paul quickly alerts us to the fact that God gives people grace to still have satisfying lives as singles, who are not sexually active in any way. He says, I wish that all of you were as I am (v7). Paul himself is single, and feels that God has enabled him to thrive as a single. Obviously, sexual temptation and the longings for companionship are still a reality for Paul, yet on the whole he believes God wants him to be single, and he has learnt to access Gods grace as a single. He has learnt that a single person who walks with Christ can have a satisfying, fruitful life even though they are not sexually active, or involved in an exclusive emotionally intimate relationship with another. And still today God enables people to thrive in both the gift of marriage, and the gift of singleness. The single, recognizing that their current status is a gift, should regularly pray, God thank you for allowing me to be single (if not forever, at least for now). Help me to access all the wisdom and grace I need to remain sexually pure while I serve you wholeheartedly. Today, most of the world is single. Whatever our current season is, we should seek Gods grace to deal with it. God promises to give us the grace we need today to deal with the situation were facing right now. Though not all singles may feel called to be celibate their whole lives, yet all singles are called to be celibate for now. Gods gift of grace is available to help them to cope, and even thrive in their season of singleness.

9) MARRIAGE, SINGLENESS, STATUS AND CRISIS TIMES (7:8-40) 8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. An instruction for formerly married people: Stay single, although remarriage may be a better option for some of you. The word unmarried (v8) has traditionally been misunderstood to refer to all singles. But two factors seem to suggest that Paul means the demarried or formerly married: 1) Paul has an entire section for premarried singles and he uses another word for them: virgins (v25-28). 2) The other use of the same Greek word in this section of Pauls letter refers to a previously married person (see verse 11, which speaks of a divorcee who remains unmarried). Probably, by the word here, Paul means widowers, although it may imply divorcees too. Pauls instruction to the formerly married is simple: given the unusual crisis situation in Corinth (see verse 26), simplify your life and stay single. However, Paul is quick to add that it would not be wrong to remarry, especially for those who find the sexual temptation and loneliness of singleness unbearable (v9). 10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. An instruction for married couples: Stay married. In the church of Corinth, many super-spiritual women and men had begun to wonder if they were too spiritual for marriage. Influenced by Greek philosophy, they tended to elevate the realm of Spirit, and undermine the realm of earth and matter. Marriage just seemed to be so earthly and non-spiritual to them. For this reason, many were seeking to dissolve their marriages out of some warped understanding of what Christ valued. Of course this was totally wrong. Paul says I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband And a husband must not divorce his wife. When Paul says not I, but the Lord he simply means the Lord Jesus himself spoke perfectly plainly on the matter. He is, of course, referring to Christs teachings on the permanence of the marriage covenant (see Mark 10:2-12 for example). Connected to this instruction to not divorce, is an instruction to those who, for whatever reason, choose to get divorced anyway. To them he says, stay single, or remarry the person you left. Paul writes, But if she does (separate from her husband), she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband (v11). Although divorce is wrong, it is not unforgivable. And, as we see in this verse, a divorcee does not need to be

put of the community. Can a divorcee ever remarry anyone other than their ex-spouse? Some people believe that Paul in this teaching says no. And they may be right in their reading. Certainly, both Paul and Jesus (see Mark 10:2-12) forbid divorce for the purpose of marrying someone else. To dispose of a spouse in the pursuit of another is a form of adultery. But not all Bible scholars agree with the interpretation that remarriage will never ever be permissible again, as long as the ex-spouse shall live. They argue 1) that Paul is not giving an absolute law for all Christians in all situations, but is in this case giving an instruction for a very specific context (i.e. the Corinthian church in the middle of a crisis (v26)) where he is trying to dissuade married women from dissolving their marriages in the first place, 2) that the instruction in verse 8 and 9 for formerly married people (described as the unmarried and the widowers) applies to long-time divorcees too: try stay single, but if the pressures and temptations of being single are unbearable, then remarriage to another may be the better option, and 3) that there is therefore the possibility of Gods redemptive grace in the provision of another spouse after enough time. Certainly divorce and remarriage is not ideal, but nonetheless Gods grace is able to compensate for our failures. Where our sin increases, Gods grace increases all the more (Rom 5:20).

12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or sister is not bound in such circumstances; (rather) God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? An instruction for Christians married to non-Christians: Stay married to them (for they might become Christians) unless they want to divorce you (in which case, let them go). What does Paul means when he says, I say this (I, not the Lord) (v12)? It does not mean that what he is saying is any less authoritative. After all, Paul is a first-generation apostle writing inspired Scripture. It simply means Jesus never taught directly into this issue, but I will. Many times only one partner in a marriage became Christian. Obviously this put pressure on the marriage. And many in the church thought it was grounds for divorce. But Paul says no, dont divorce (v12-13). In verse 14, he gives the reason for not divorcing an unsaved spouse: because of their close relationship to a Christian spouse, they are sanctified. The word means set apart. In this instance, Paul does not mean that they are

saved, or are being made godly. He simply means that 1) the marriage is special to God because a Christian is involved, and therefore 2) the unsaved partner is within reach of the gospel. What does he mean by otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy (v14)? Even in a marriage between a Christian and a non-Christian the children are also within reach of the gospel. Paul uses the Old Testament concept of clean and unclean. In the Old Testament, if someone clean was touched by someone unclean they too would become unclean. But now in the gospel, the reverse is true. The children are not made unclean (Paul uses the term figuratively, not literally) by the non-Christian parent, but rather are made holy or are set apart for Gods special purpose for their lives. They are within reach of the gospel. But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or sister is not bound in such circumstances (v15). Though the Christian should not try dissolve the marriage to the non-Christian, there will be times when the non-Christian will want out. What must the Christian then do? The answer is to let them go. They are not bound (to insist on staying married) in such circumstances. Certainly, the Christian must do all they can to hold on to the marriage, but in the end, they may need to let the person go. God has called us to peace (15c). This part is often misunderstood to mean The Christian should peacefully let the non-Christian partner divorce them. But this line is most likely Paul moving away from his thought in verse 15a and b, and repeating what he had said in verses 1213: stay married if at all possible. The original language has the word but or rather in front, so it should be translated, Rather, God has called us to peace. When we understand 15c to be a repeat of the ideal of staying married, with divorce being likened to a loss of peace, then verse 16 makes more sense: How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? It simply means, Assuming you stay married, it is more likely (although there is no guarantee) that your non-Christian spouse will be saved eventually.

Concerning Change of Status 17 Nevertheless, each of you should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to you, just as God has called you. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. 20 Each of you should remain in the situation you were in when God called you. 21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22 For those who were slaves when called to faith in the Lord are the Lord's freed people; similarly, those who were free when called are Christ's slaves. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. 24 Brothers and sisters, all of

you, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation in which God called you. A general guideline to all Christians: Keep the culture and societal status you had when you were called to faith in the Lord. The Christians in Corinth had warped ideas about spirituality. For example, some of them believed that it was spiritually superior to be celibate and single than to be married, and were therefore dissolving their marriages. Other people may have believed that being Jewish by ethnicity was superior to being a non-Jew, and others believed the opposite. Others, when believing in Christ, believed that it was now spiritually superior to be a freed person rather than a slave. Paul counters all this wrong thinking with one basic rule (by which he means general rule not absolute command) (v17): Each of you should remain in the situation you were in when God called you (v20). When saying that both circumcision and uncircumcision is nothing (v19), he is saying that ethnicity is of no significance spiritually. What is of spiritual significance is whether one takes Christs commands and leadership seriously. Keeping God's commands is what counts (v19). Not only ethnicity, but whether one is a slave (i.e. low socio-economic status) or free (i.e. high socio-economic status) is also of little significance spirituality (v21-23). In other words, ones social status was of no significance spiritually. In Corinth, a full one third of the people were slaves. Certainly, being free was often better than being a slave, which is why Paul writes, although if you can gain your freedom, do so (v21). But the key to remember is that slaves are not to worry about (v21) their low social status. After all, they have such a high spiritual status in the sight of God. They are free men in Gods sight (v22). Besides, the non-slave Christians are still slaves of Christ (v22). Paul is making the point that social status doesnt affect our spiritual state or standing at all. Although Paul does not say it directly, he implies throughout these verses that ones marital status is also of no significance spiritually (see verse 26). What people and society think about us does not reflect what God thinks of us. All cultures tend to esteem one ethnicity over another, or one social status over another, or one marital status over another, but this does not reflect Gods feelings at all. Instead of imitating the cultures values (and assuming that what the culture values, God also values), live responsible to God (v24). Live before the audience of One. Play for the Coach instead of for the Crowds. Why is Paul making this point? There are two reasons: 1) Paul is most likely concerned about the gospels ability to infiltrate and impact every aspect of society (see 1 Cor 9:20-23). When people of a certain marital status, socio-economic status, or ethnicity are saved, they have the natural capacity to reach more people like themselves. They become missionaries to their own context. Still today, whenever a person becomes a Christian, we must be careful to help them not lose their culture or connections. The danger is that we will call people not only to the gospel, but to our specific Christian subculture. If this happens, the gospels ability to impact their culture and connections is lost. 2) Paul is not overly

concerned whether people change or not (after all, he subtly encourages slaves to get free if they can (v21). His major concern is that new Christians start making drastic life-changes because they wrongly attach spiritual significance to one ethnicity or status over another. We must remember what Paul told the Galatians: There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). The change of spiritual status we have experienced with God is so radical, that any other change on a horizontal level (of a non-moral nature) is largely insignificant. Concerning the Unmarried 25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. First bit of advice in crisis times: Push pause on making big life-decisions. What does Paul mean by I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy (v25)? He means that what he, a trustworthy man, is about to say is his best advice, but is not a command from God. To refuse the advice he is about to give is not to sin, but may prove to be very unwise. His advice will help them avoid unnecessary pain and regret. If they fail to listen to his advice it is likely that they will face many troubles in this life (v28) and Paul lovingly wants to spare them of this. So what is his advice to them? It is this: because of the unusual crisis situation in the church in Corinth, delay or avoid getting married. What was the present crisis? We cant be sure. But as we explore the entire letter to the Corinthians we see that the church was in a dangerously unstable state, marked by serious sin and compromise, conflict, rivalry, false teaching, ego-hungry leaders and so much more. The tumult and instability in the church was not the best environment for healthy, stable marriages to form. So Paul says, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is (v26). In other words, in a tumultuous time it is best not to make any other major decisions. Rather ride out the current storm, and then, when things calm down, make big decisions such as choosing a spouse or getting married. Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released (v27a). He speaks to engaged couples, and says that they dont need to terminate their engagement, but perhaps it would be wise to delay the marriage. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife (v27b) Then he addresses singles and encourages them not to try find a lifepartner. Big decisions like who to marry and when to marry should be delayed until there is sufficient stability in the church. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has

not sinned (v28). Paul here repeats his point from verse 25: this is only his advice, not Gods command. He is not trying to control them, just protect them. He wants them to be happy, and avoid unnecessary pain. 29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who are married should live as if they were not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. 32 I would like you to be free from concern. Second bit of advice in crisis times: Remember that youre in the world, but not of the world. The Corinthian church is in a crisis situation (v26). Although the subject is marriage and singleness, Paul takes the opportunity to give them (and us) some insight into how best to deal with crisis times. We need to remember that the time is short (v29) and that this world in its present form is passing away (v31). Although we live in this world, as new creations in Christ, we are now citizens of Christs kingdom. It is as though we have one foot in the present age, and another foot in the future kingdom age. Through Christs death and resurrection, and through the coming of the Spirit, the future kingdom age has already begun. At the Second Coming of Christ, the present age will come to an end. But the presence of the future means that the present age is coming to an end in its present form (v29), when the kingdom of Christ will fully arrive. As Christians, particularly in crisis times, we need to remember that we are citizens of the future age. We belong to Christ and his eternal kingdom. That is why we are to find our identity in and values from Christ, and not from or in this world. The analogy often used in the Bible is that we are merely pilgrims passing through. That being said, Pauls words make complete sense. From now on those who are married should live as if they were not. Paul is not telling married people to dissolve or neglect their marriages. He is telling them to not find their primary identity in their marriage, but rather in Christ. Those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not. When we find our identity in Christ and in his eternal future age, were less devastated by losses in this age, and less enamoured by gains in this age. Those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. We still live in the world. We need to manage things well, but because we dont find our identity or worth in things, we wont be overly attached to anything we possess. We always need to remember that were in the world, but not of the world at all times. But crisis times, more urgently than other times, necessitate this kind of thinking. It is the only way not to be free from concern, which can also be translated as free from anxiety (v32). (Interestingly, this teaching parallels Christs teaching in Matthew 6:3133.)

An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairshow he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this worldhow he can please his wife 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this worldhow she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. Third bit of advice in crisis times: As far as possible, pursue a simplicity of life. The Corinthian church is in a crisis situation (v26). Although the subject is marriage and singleness, Paul takes the opportunity to give them (and us) some insight into how best to deal with crisis times. The main goal of the Christian life is to be concerned about the Lords affairs, which Paul defines as being concerned with how to please the Lord (v32). We are to live in a right way (v35), which means we devote ourselves to the Lord in both body and spirit (v34). Jesus said the same thing: we are to seek first Gods kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33). But, in a highly pressurized world, especially in times of crisis (v26), it is exceedingly difficult to do this. We tend to be pulled in many different directions. Our interests are divided (v34). We can easily become preoccupied with the affairs of this world (v34). Paul was concerned that in the Corinthian crisis, if a single was to marry, it would most likely undermine their ability to devote themselves primarily to God. Marriage would add yet another pressure to their already pressurized lives. That is why Paul advises them to consider avoiding or, at least, delaying marriage (v27). Paul writes, I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you (v35). We see that he is quick to explain that he is not saying marriage is wrong, or is wrong for everyone. He is just giving some general guidelines for their specific context. But what if our context is different? What do we learn from these words of Paul? We certainly learn that singleness has some really positive qualities. Marriage takes up a lot of time and energy that could be spent on things like building relationships within community, prayer, Bible study, serving the poor, serving the needs of the church, and fulfilling whatever it is God has called us to do. But, even more broadly, we see that it is important to seek to prune from our lives those things that distract us from God and whatever it is God has called us to do. We are to de-clutter and simplify our lives. How this is done will be different for everyone, but might include such things as owning less, earning less, entertaining ourselves less, cutting out time-wasters, finding a job that doesnt take up ones whole life, and more. 36 If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honourably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting beyond the usual age for

marrying and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. 37 But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virginthis man also does the right thing. 38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better. 39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she isand I think that I too have the Spirit of God. Fourth bit of advice in crisis times: Make wise decisions. The Corinthian church is in a crisis situation (v26). Although the subject is marriage and singleness, Paul takes the opportunity to give them (and us) some insight into how best to deal with crisis times. Paul has advised delaying or avoiding marriage, but he wants to make it clear that he has only been giving advice, not divine instructions, so he finishes this section with the basic message: make wise decisions. Paul imagines that there might be some men engaged to older women. In this case delaying marriage may be very difficult for her. So, he says that if he wants to marry her, of course he can (v37). But Pauls concern is that men settle the matter in their own minds and are under no compulsion but (have) control over (their) own will as they make a decision. It would be unwise to make a decision impulsively, or because of the pressure or expectations coming from other people. If a man chooses to not get married to his fianc, now or ever, thats also fine (v37). On this point of making wise decisions, Paul, in verses 38-39, gives a few more pointers with regard to decision-making about marriage and remarriage: 1) Marriage is a life-long commitment. Thats one more reason to decide carefully and non-impulsively. 2) Remarriage is a possibility for widows and widowers, although it may not always be best. 3) Adults are free to choose whom they marry, although they must only marry Christians. 4) A widow is free to remarry, if they want, but they must be a Christian The main point is that much of the Christian life is about making decisions that are beyond any commands from God. Part of maturing is learning to make wise decisions, especially in pressurized times. We need to make decisions that are non-impulsive, non-manipulated, thoughtful and helpful. 10) TRANSFORMED BY THE GOSPEL (8:1-13) Let the gospel transform you. One of the most common misconceptions in the Christian life is that the gospel saves us and then, having done its work, steps back as we then begin to spiritually mature and learn to obey all Gods instructions. The truth is that, as we shall see in chapter 8, the gospels work only begins at

salvation, and then continues to impact us more and more as we mature. Apart from regular exposure to the gospel, we cannot progress at all in the Christian life. The gospel is not just the starting line in the race of the Christian life. It is also the track along which we run. It is the crowd cheering in our ear. It is the energy we feel in our hearts. It is the finishing line. It is the prize at the end of the race. The gospel has the power to save us in a moment, but then has the power to transform every moment for a lifetime. You might ask, Where is the word gospel in chapter 8? It is not there. But, the substance of the word is. In this chapter Paul uses the word knowledge (see verses 1,2,7,10 and 11). He defines this knowledge in verses 4-6. As we look at these verses we see that by it he means the gospel. Verse 6 offers one of the most beautifully crafted summaries of the gospel in the entire Bible: there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. In this chapter, we will see four ways we need to let the gospel transform us as Christians

1 Corinthians 8
Concerning Food Sacrificed to Idols 1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that "We all possess knowledge." But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3 But whoever loves God is known by God. 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that "An idol is nothing at all in the world" and that "There is no God but one." Let the gospel make you more humble, not more proud. In chapter 8 we will see three qualities profoundly missing in the Corinthian church. If were honest, we will quickly perceive that, though our situation is totally different to theirs, these three qualities are very often missing in us too. In the lengthy section of chapters 8:1-11:1, Paul deals with another issue that the church had challenged him on in their letter to him whether it was acceptable to eat at pagan temples, where part of the evening involved the offering of the meat to the god of the temple. Most Corinthians had gone to these temple feasts all their lives. Going to these feasts held in honour of pagan gods was the closest thing to the modern experience of going to a restaurant with some friends. When they became Christians, they were not sure whether they could still go to these pagan feasts. Paul had previously forbidden them from doing so, but apparently they disagreed with his instruction on the matter. In chapters 8:1-11:1, Paul deals with the three arguments the church in Corinth used to justify their going to pagan temples anyway. The first argument they used is this: all Christians already possess (the)

knowledge (v1) that there is no God but one (v4) and therefore an idol is nothing at all in the world (v4). In other words, theyre arguing, When we go to the pagan temples, were just there to socialize with our friends, and we can see through the lie that the pagan god even exists, never mind is present. But notice how Paul responds to this first argument. He doesnt challenge their belief or theology on the matter. (Indeed, we shall see in verses 5-6 that he agrees totally with their knowledge). Rather, he challenges their proud attitude. It seems that, somehow, their knowledge of the truth made them more arrogant, not more humble. He then argues that spiritual knowledge can dangerously puff up a person. But, in fact, it is meant to make a person more loving. Knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Think about the comparison of the words puff up and build up. Let me use an analogy. A person who is a glutton may pick up much weight. They puff up. They have size but not substance. Another person, through weight-lifting and exercise, also picks up much weight. But this time, theyre built up. They have both size and substance. Similarly, the ingestion of biblical knowledge is meant to build us up to be a more loving person, not puff us up to be a more proud person. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. The more we know, the more we should realize there is so much we dont know. The more we know, the more we should realize that what we do with this knowledge is of utmost importance. The growth in biblical and theological knowledge should lead to greater humility not less. But whoever loves God is known by God. The goal of all growth in knowledge should be a greater intimacy with, and personal knowledge of God. Ironically, if we allow our knowledge to make us more proud, we push God further away from ourselves, since God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble and oppressed (James 4:6). Still today, as we pursue a deeper theological knowledge insight into Christian doctrine, we must be aware of the danger of becoming proud and puffed up in our knowledge. The goal of knowledge is to find out how we can more humbly love God, and love people. If our growth in knowledge fails to have that affect on us, something has gone wrong. True knowledge of God makes us more loving, and more humble. Many in the Corinthian church claimed to have knowledge of God, but their proud, unloving attitude showed that they clearly they didnt.

5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Let the gospel sink deeper and deeper in. Paul affirms that all the gods and lords, whether they were meant to

live on earth or in heaven, that were worshipped in Corinth, are indeed only so-called. They dont really exist at all! The gospel bursts the polytheistic bubble. The truth is that there are not many gods and lords. There is only one God and one Lord: there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live (v6). Verse 6 powerfully communicates some of the major facets of the gospel. Let us see what he says about the Father in this verse. God, the Father is the source of all things. The phrase all things here includes both creation and salvation. Creation is from the Father. In heaven they worship him saying, You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being (Revelations 4:11). And salvation is from God. In heaven they cry out, Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne (Revelations 7:10). Because of this, he is rightfully the one for whom we live. He is the end of all things. We exist to serve and worship and know our Creator- and our Saviour-God. Next, let us see what he says about Jesus in this verse. Jesus Christ, the second member of the Trinity, is the mediator of creation and salvation. It all came through him. Creation came through Christ. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him (Colossians 1:16). In fact, Gods efforts to reconcile the whole world come through him. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross (Colossians 1:19-20). He is therefore the one through whom we live. He mediates Gods grace to us, and he is the one through whom we can approach God. For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as a ransom for all people (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Verse 7a reminds us that there is a difference between knowing the gospel in ones head, and knowing it in ones heart. Verse 7a, speaking about some of the Christians in the church, comes as a shock: But not everyone possesses this knowledge. This sentence is better translated, But not everyone has this knowledge in them. The key word to make sense of this is the word in. They had the knowledge of the gospel, but this knowledge wasnt sufficiently internalized. After all, it is possible to have knowledge in ones head, and yet that knowledge hasnt yet deeply engrained itself in ones heart. We may intellectually affirm something to be true, and yet still doubt it in our hearts. It has not yet become a deep, heartfelt conviction. It appears that many in the church had heard, and believed the gospels claim that there is only one God, but not all of them had the same level of heart-conviction about the matter. They had the knowledge in their head, but not in their heart. They lacked gospelinsight. Still today, we might know the gospel, but we do not know it deeply enough. The great challenge in the Christian life is to take what we

believe in our head, and to let that knowledge sink deeply into our hearts. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to internalize the gospel truths in our hearts, so we need to depend on him. But it is our responsibility to memorize, meditate on and reflect on the gospel truths articulated in Scripture. Someone once said, the journey of the Christian life is a mere 18 inches from the head to the heart. As we see in this verse, this can be a difficult journey for some. On this point, the role of Christian leaders is to help the penny drop from peoples heads to their hearts. Tim Keller, a pastor in New York, tells us that he sees his main job of leading Gods people to be someone who keeps on banging people on the side of their heads, until the gospels falls in to their hearts, and out comes the transformed lives. He gets this from a simple analogy: at his work is a vending machine that doesnt work so well. He puts his money in the side in order to get his drink. But the money gets stuck there. So he bangs on the side of it until the penny drops, and out comes the drink. The gospel first needs to go into a persons head. Then the gospel needs to drop into the persons heart. This is where the complications arise. No matter how long it takes, we must keep banging people on the side of the head with the gospel message, until the penny drops, and as a result, lives are significantly changed. Martin Luther wrote something similar many centuries ago: The truth of the Gospel is the principle article of all Christian doctrine. Most necessary is it that we know this article well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually.

7 Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol's temple, won't they be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall. Let the gospel reprogram your conscience (but until that happens dont attempt to override your conscience). What does Paul mean here by a person having a weak conscience? Many Christians had a sufficiently deep understanding of the gospel to know that idols are nothing since there is only one God (v4). They could sit in a pagan feast, and eat the meat that had been offered to the idol by simply telling themselves, This food was sacrificed to nothing in reality,

so I can eat it like I would any meat. But there were other people who just felt it was wrong to do. They were still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god (v7), and therefore the meat feels defiled or spiritually contaminated. These people are people with a weak conscience. They had a misinformed conscience that would make them feel like they were sinning, even if they werent really sinning at all. Still today, there are many Christians who feel like they are sinning even when in reality no sin is being committed at all. Their over-scrupulous consciences have not yet been reprogrammed to accurately reflect Christs standards. (Of course there are also many Christians whose consciences dont seem to work at all. They sin, and yet dont feel like theyre sinning because their conscience doesnt protest. But sin is sin, even when we dont feel like it is.) This leads to the next question Whats wrong with violating ones conscience (even though it might be wrongly programmed)? We might think that a person who feels like theyre sinning even when they arent should be encouraged to just do it anyway. But Paul argues differently. He says that if a person goes against their conscience on a matter that they will be destroyed (which here simply means hurt) (v11). They will wound their weak conscience (v12). Even though they are not really objectively sinning against Christ, yet it feels like they are sinning, and this causes them to be wracked with feelings of guilt, shame and failure. The rest of the New Testament speaks of the importance of being sensitive to ones own conscience. For example, Hebrews 13:18 says, We are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honourably, and Acts 24:16 says, I always make the effort to have a good conscience towards God and other people. What should we do to help a person with a weak conscience? Firstly, Paul tells us that it would not be helpful to encourage a person with an overscrupulous conscience to simply over-ride their conscience by doing something that they feel is wrong anyway. That only brings feelings of shame, which damage their relationship with Christ. The better thing to do is to re-educate their minds by repeating how the gospel determines what is sin and what is not sin. This is what Paul does in verse 6. He rearticulates the gospel in verses 4-6 in the hope that this will set people free from being in bondage to a misinformed conscience. Our great need is that the gospel will be banged into our heads more and more, until our consciences are rightly attuned to Christs real standards. For some, this will mean that our consciences forbid us from doing things that we previously felt had been acceptable to do. For others, this will mean that we start to enjoy the freedom of doing things that we previously felt had been wrong to do. What are some modern examples of issues around which Christians are divided depending on what their conscience tells them? Let me give two examples. First, there is the situation of whether Christians should participate in pagan feasts that determine the social calendar of a nation or tribe. For example, some Christians insist that the celebration of 25 December goes back to a pagan festival. Or they may forbid participating

in Halloween for the same reason. Second, there is tension around the question of whether Christians can drink alcohol. Although the Bible does not forbid drinking some alcohol, it does forbid excessive drinking. Some Christians and churches, because of the rampant abuse of alcohol in their area, may encourage total non-use in an attempt to not associate at all with this abuse. However, other churches and Christians will argue that the remedy to misuse of alcohol is not non-use of alcohol but rather the correct use of it (which is what I prefer). Even in a church that permits the drinking of alcohol, there may be some people who have a history of alcohol abuse. For them to even take one sip is to bring a great sense of failure into their hearts. This damages their relationship to Christ. Let the gospel empower you to put loving others above your own freedom. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do (v8). In this verse Paul seems to quote the arguments some Christians had been using to eat the meat offered to idols. Of course, the argument is true. But Paul immediately counterargues that they are missing the point. He says, Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak (v9). He says, This issue is not about your rights. Of course you have the right to eat meats that have been offered to idols because you dont believe in these false gods anyway. But that is not the real issue. The issue is what is best for other Christians. Love is more important than freedom. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol's temple, won't they be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? (v10) This is Pauls essential argument for why they shouldnt join in these pagan feasts at all. He is saying, If those of you who have no problem eating at these pagan feasts do so, then some fellow-believers who do have a problem with eating at these feasts, will feel the pressure to join in too and it will end up hurting them spiritually. Paul is reminding them that their freedom is to be governed by love. When were just concerned with exercising our freedom our main question is, What is within my rights? But when were lovingly concerned about others we ask a more important question, What will be best for other people? Paul calls us to be more loving toward fellow brothers and sisters, for whom Christ died (v11). Christ lovingly lay down his life for believers, and we too should be ready to suspend some privileges for their sake. To disregard the spiritual wellbeing of fellow-believers is to unlovingly sin against them, which is the same as sinning against Christ (v12). Paul then points to his own example. He reminds them that, in his own ethic, he always puts his loving responsibility toward others over and above his own enjoyment of privileges: Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall (v13). Today, although the scenarios differ in a million different ways to the one that Paul is addressing here, each believer will regularly experience the tension of being free to do something, and yet if they do this they may

damage the spiritual wellbeing of another. As important as freedom is, love is more important. Let me provide four examples. 1) As a missionary enters a new culture, she / he is free to dress and eat as they want, but because they seek to lovingly enter into the culture theyre trying to reach, they embrace clothing and food that they dont necessarily like. 2) A father may be free to go out with his friends several evenings a week, but this hurts his family. 3) A Christian is free to not have to seek God every morning of his / her life in the Scriptures and prayer, but because they seek to be prepared to minister Gods grace to every person they encounter, they choose to do so. 4) Although a small group in a church may usually enjoy a glass of wine when they have a celebrative meal together, but when someone with a past alcohol problem joins the group, they stop doing this. One more point: Paul introduces the concept of the stumbling block here. This is often misused in Christian circles to mean, Dont do something that will shock or offend a fellow Christian who feels you shouldnt be doing that at all. But the word stumble does not mean to offend but rather to make fall. For example, Jesus often caused the Pharisees to be offended (by socializing with sinners who were forbidden from coming to the synagogue because of their questionable lifestyles, for example) but he never sought to make them fall. Paul in fact at times sought to shock fellow-Christians when it was clear that they were in bondage to something. For example, in Galatians 2:3-5 he tells how Titus, a Gentile assistant of his, did not get circumcised, and how he was happy that some Jewish people in the church (to their great shock) found out about this, since the gospel did not require circumcision. In these cases, Jesus and Paul were lovingly trying to set people free from the legalism and bondage that held them captive. The situation in Corinth was different, however. Those eating at the pagan feasts were only concerned about themselves, and were insensitively trying to persuade others to do things, even though these people still felt it was wrong. They were being true stumbling blocks. They were doing more than merely offending; they were making people fall.

11) LIVING TO ADVANCE THE GOSPEL (9:1-23) Because it is confusing, lets try to understand the flow of thought in 9:123 and how it fits in with the section of chapter 8-10 Chapters 8 to 10 deal with the single theme of whether it is acceptable for Christians to go to pagan feasts and eat meat that has been offered to idols. In chapter 8, Paul gives the first reason that it is not acceptable: though some of them might have not a problem with it, yet for the sake of those Christians who do have a problem with it, it is best not to do it. In other words, they are to put love for others above their own freedom. (In chapter 10 he will provide another argument that shows that, even if no one had a problem with it, yet it is still wrong to do it.) The important question is, Why is there no mention of pagan feasts and idol-meat in the whole of chapter 9? And if chapter 9 indeed carries on

this theme of idol-meats, how does this fit into the flow of Pauls thought? Let me answer. It fits in, in two ways: First, Paul has just called Christians, out of love for others, to refuse some privileges. Now he gives two major examples how he has done just this in his ministry - one, by not accepting financial help from the church (9:118), and two, by embracing the culture of people he was trying to reach with the gospel (9:19-23). Second, Paul freshly defends the fact that he is their God-given apostle. In verse 3 he says, This is my defence to those who sit in judgment on me. He anticipates that his insistence in chapter 8 on their not eating at pagan feasts will freshly provoke some people in the church to challenge whether he was their apostle anyway. There are two apparent reasons that they question whether he really is an apostle. One, they wonder why he never received financial support from them. It was normative to pay respect to a God-sent minister by giving them money, but Paul never accepted money, so perhaps he wasnt God sent. So Paul in 9:1-18 explains why, despite having full knowledge of his right to receive financial support, he chose not to receive support. Two, they question why he seemed to be inconsistent in eating idol-offered meat sold in the marketplace. Apparently, he sometimes did and at other times didnt. This inconsistency would undermine both his apostleship in their sight, as well as his credibility in instructing them how to deal with the matter of idol-offered meat. So Paul explains the real reason behind his apparent inconsistency in 9:19-23.

1 Corinthians 9
Paul's Rights as an Apostle 1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. Although all Christians are called to live to advance the gospel, some people are called to unique leadership tasks in the advance of the gospel. All Christians are called to live for the sake of the gospel. In Mark 16:15 Jesus commissioned all his disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Were all called to live for the advance of the gospel. But, some Christians are called to very unique leadership tasks in the advance of the gospel. In Ephesians 4:11-12, Paul explains that, Christ himself gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service. Although all Christians are to give themselves to the works of service, of which gospelproclamation is a part, yet some are called to be uniquely gifted leaders who equip these Christians to do so. Paul himself was one such leader. He was a first-generation apostle. He asks rhetorically, Am I not an apostle? (v1). Apostles are people called by God to break open new areas with the

gospel. This leads naturally into the emergence of churches, which are then to be established upon the gospel. If a church were to be established by such an apostle, then that person would be an apostle to them. Thus Paul argues, Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord (v1-2). It is his way of saying, If it wasnt for me, you wouldnt even exist as a church. It must be said that the first-generation apostles, though also being areapioneering church-planters, were different to modern apostles in two regards. First, all of them encountered the resurrected Christ in bodily form (and not just in a vision). This is what Paul means by Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? (v1). They were eye-witnesses of Christs physical resurrection from the dead. (See 1 Cor 15:3-8 for more on this theme.) Second, many of them wrote Scripture and the doctrine it contains. Modern apostles are not free to write doctrine. They can seek to properly interpret and communicate the inspired teaching of the first-generation apostles, but they are not free to teach new doctrine that the Scripture does not speak of. Those first-generation apostles were one of a kind. The opening question, Am I not free? will only make sense as we look at verses 3-14.

3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don't we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who don't have the right not to work for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn't the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when farmers plough and thresh, they should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Don't you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. Christian leaders generally should be financially supported. Christian leaders should generally be financially supported by the churches

they work into. The above verses present a compact teaching that gives five reasons why the receiving of financial support is normative for most Christian leaders working into churches. The five reasons Paul gives are as follows: 1) Most of the first-generation apostles received financial support. Most of the apostles, including Jesus physical brothers (Jude and James) and Cephas (i.e. Peter), travelled as they ministered to various churches. They were financially supported, so that they had enough to sustain themselves and their wives, who came along with them (v4-6). In fact some of them, such as Peter, had ministered in the church in Corinth and had received financial support in the process (v12). It was unusual for these people to have to work over and above ministry, so as to generate income. Paul and Barnabas were the exceptions. Although Paul here only refers to the ministry of apostles, he elsewhere applied it to elders too (see 1 Timothy 5:17-18). 2) In most professions, provision for living is naturally provided in the work they do. Paul gives five examples of such professions. The first three come in verse 7: Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? The next two come in verse 13: Don't you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In other words, based on these examples, it is natural to be provided for in the work one gives ones self to. Paul argues that if ones life-work is ministering to churches, then surely the same applies. 3) Deuteronomy 25:4 teaches this principle. In verses 8-10, Paul argues that Deuteronomy 25:4, which says, Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain was put in the Scriptures by God as a guiding principle for those who work. If a farmer did not want an ox to eat from the very grain that he was treading, he would muzzle him. This would make it impossible to eat. Yet God insisted that oxen should remain unmuzzled. The principle can be generally applied to anyone who works: provision that sustains their life should be inherent in their work. 4) Since ministry is the sowing of seed, then financial support surely is part of the harvest. Picking up on the metaphor of farmers being rewarded by a harvest (v10), Paul applies the situation to spiritual seedsowers in verse 11: If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? Of course money must never be the motivation for ministry (1 Peter 5:2), but is nonetheless a common reward to those who give their lives to the advance of the gospel, and ministry to churches. 5) Jesus taught that provision should be received by workers from the recipients of their ministry. The Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel (v14). Jesus said this to his disciples as he sent them out on ministry trips in Matthew 10:10 (for a worker is worthy of his food); and in Luke 10:8 (Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you). The point Paul is making is simple: Christian leaders who give their lives to advancing the gospel, and to ministering to churches should generally be

provided for by those churches. 15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me However, it is not always wise to receive financial support from those ministered to. Paul argues persuasively that it was within his right to receive payment, and then suddenly argues for why he didnt want payment, and that they should not think that his arguments for financial support are attempts at manipulating them to give (v15). In verse 12, Paul said, But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. He repeats this point with more detail in verses 1518. Paul chose not to ask for or receive financial support from the Corinthians when he ministered to them. The book of Acts tells us that for a season he worked as a tent-maker while in Corinth (18:3), and that he received financial support from other churches (18:5). But he did not receive finances from them. Why is this? He did not want to hinder the gospel. Corinth was a place where many travelling philosophers and religious teachers would come and try to make a living by their oratory abilities. Paul did not want anyone to think that he was preaching the gospel because of financial incentives. It would have discredited him and his message had he received income from his converts. Another reason is implied in verse 19: I am free and belong to no man. He probably refused financial help from the church because he did not want to feel obligated to or manipulated by any people in the church. Not receiving income gave him a far greater ability to overcome the desire to please the people in the church, and instead to lead them in the way God instructed him to lead them. Still today, it is normative for Christian leaders to received money from those ministered to, there will be many situations where it would be unwise to do so. And, so that nothing will hinder the gospel, alternate sources of income should be sought. 15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. 16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not misuse my rights as a preacher of the gospel. There is great joy and reward in sacrificially helping the gospel to effectively advance. As important as it was to help the gospel advance, it was not enough for Paul. After all, Paul was compelled to preach and advance the gospel. It

was his destiny and duty. This is what he means when he says that he was compelled to preach and woe if he didnt (v16). Although it obviously was voluntary in the literal sense, yet in the sense that God had made it so clear to him that this was what he was to do with his life, it was as though he had no choice in the matter. Like a slave, he was simply discharging a trust committed to him by God. Thats why he didnt find it that rewarding. So, if simply advancing the gospel was not enough for Paul, what did he find so rewarding that he would rather die (v15) than not have? For him it was, because of his sheer love for Christ, to go over and above the call of duty and destiny. It was not enough to merely advance the gospel. He found his joy and reward in advancing the gospel in a sacrificial and effective way. Paul uses the word boast (v15,16) interchangeably with the word reward (v17,18). The word boast here means joy. So Paul is telling us where he finds his joy and reward. The answer is this: in sacrificially helping the gospel to effectively advance. By refusing financial reward or payment, he was being sacrificial, and effective in advancing the gospel. Had he accepted money, he would still have been able to say, I did my duty in preaching the gospel. But Paul went beyond the call of duty, by not just advancing the gospel, but by doing so in a sacrificial and effective way. As Christians we are called to promote the spread of the gospel. This is our duty and destiny. But merely promoting the advance of the gospel should not be enough for us. We should be willing to be sacrificial if need be in order to advance it, and we should be thoughtful about how most effectively to do it. Perhaps the Spirit of God will allow us to experience the same sense of joy and reward that Paul experienced as we do this? A sense of joy and reward so sweet that wed rather die than not have it.

Paul's Use of His Freedom 19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. To advance the gospel most effectively, be ready to build cultural and relational bridges. There are not many paths that lead to God. There is only one: faith in Jesus Christ as revealed in the gospel message. However, we see in these verses that there are many paths Jesus would be willing to take to get to people. When Jesus came to the earth he was the Word made flesh (John 1:14). Although he was eternal, yet he took on the culture and

humanity of the people he sought to reach. He built relationships with all kinds of people. In love he constantly stepped out of the comfort zones that usually restrict us and reached into the world of the people he ministered to. This is still how he works, only now he does this through his body, the community of Christians. Paul, in these verses, is a great example. Paul made himself a slave (v19) to the people he was trying to win with the gospel. He became all things to all people so that by all possible means (he) might save some (v22). Like Jesus, he regularly socialized with non-Christians. For example, when he came to Corinth he stayed and worked with a couple he met, Priscilla and Aquilla, who also made tents (Acts 18:3). And later in this letter, he commends socializing with unbelievers (1 Cor 10:27). But he did more than merely socialize with people. Like Jesus, he also stretched himself to accommodate himself to their culture if need be. When with Jews he would make an effort to relate as a fellow-Jew. For example, Paul participated in Jewish purification ceremonies, which he knew were not necessary for his own life, but he hoped would help build a bridge of ministry to the Jews (see Acts 21:23-26). An example of this is when Paul had Timothy circumcised, not because it was necessary, but because it could be helpful in getting ministry done among the Jews (Acts 16:3). He became like one having the law (v20). And when socializing with non-Jews who knew nothing of the law of Moses, he would relate to them on their terms. For example, he would put aside any mention or the keeping of the special days or the special diet that Jews made much of, but would only be confusing for nonJews. He became one not having the law (v21). Like Jesus and Paul, we too need to embrace the inconvenient, and sometimes courageous work of building relational and cultural bridges to all kinds of people. This way the gospel will be more likely heard, understood and received by them. Sadly, many Christians and churches make no effort to build relationships with non-Christian people but instead insulate themselves in holy huddles waiting for Christs return. And tragically, many Christians and churches make little effort to build bridges into the culture of the surrounding people, but instead get caught up in some Christian subculture that has no cultural resonance with the surrounding people. Obviously in our efforts to build bridges, we are not free to over-accommodate to the culture of the people were trying to reach, because like Paul, we are under Christs law (v21). Where cultural values, beliefs and behaviours clash with Christs values, teachings and instructions, we are always to side with Christ.

12) PURSUING ALL GOD HAS FOR US (9:24-11:1) Introduction: Over and above salvation, God desires to reward you with so much more. Paul was concerned that many in the church so thoughtlessly attended pagan feasts held in honour of idol-gods (8:1-13). On the same theme, he wrote the following section, which deals with the subject of the gaining

and the loss of reward. His concern was that, unless they repented of attending pagan feasts, they would lose their reward. Most Christians seem to struggle to come to terms with this concept of reward, because it seems so selfish to be motivated by the promise of reward, or the threat of losing reward. When we understand the doctrine of reward however it begins to make sense. Let me outline some basic points about the Bibles teaching on reward so that we can better understand what Paul is teaching in this section: 1) All Christians are equally saved, but not all are equally rewarded. All Christians are equally justified in the sight of God and equally assured of heaven. Once saved, always saved. But not all Christians are equally assured of reward. We cant lose heaven, but we can lose treasure in heaven. 2) Our reward is essentially all God wants us to receive and achieve now that were Christians. Another word for reward is the word inheritance. We are to seek, through perseverance and faith, to take hold of all God has promised us (Hebrews 6:12). There is so much God has for us to receive from him, and achieve for him, over and above salvation. We are not saved by our good works, but rather by grace. But once were saved there are good works God has prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:8-10). Sadly, many Christians, though legitimately saved, dont achieve and receive all that God has for them. 3) Reward is a major motivation in the Christian life. Although the primary twin-motivations of the Christian life is to live for Gods glory (see 10:31) and to live for the good of people (see 10:24), there is another motivation that the New Testament reminds us to take seriously: the promise of reward, or the warning of the loss of reward, depending on how we live. 4) Our rewards are determined by the degree to which we live for Gods glory and for the good of others. We are all saved by grace, and not by works (Eph 2:8-9). Salvation is undeserved. And we are all saved to do good works that God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10). The degree to which we do these good works, motivated by a desire to glorify God and to love people, to that degree we are rewarded. Rewards are, in a sense, deserved. It may take no effort to be saved, but it takes effort, springing from a heart of faith, hope and love, to be rewarded. 5) Our rewards come in both this life and in the next. In this life we are rewarded in many diverse ways. Usually these rewards are spiritual in nature. He might reward us with a greater sense of his presence and his love, or with a greater revelation of himself, or with greater anointings of spiritual power. However Christ may sometimes reward us in physical ways too. He might reward us by providing a promotion, or a spouse, or provision, or protection for example. Let us be careful not to assume though that every positive turn in circumstance is Gods reward. In the next life our reward comes in the form of Christs affirming and honouring our faithfulness. We will hear him say well done and we will live with the joy of knowing we honoured him highly. Many Scriptures suggests he will reward us by giving us greater responsibilities and privileges in heaven, although we have dont have sufficient detail to say more that.

6) Ultimately, our reward is that Christ is honoured and pleasured by our lives. The greatest reward for a Christian, both in this life and in the next, is that Christ is honoured and pleasured by our lives, and that in return he honours us. Instead of living for human affirmation and honour, we should live for Christs honour. The life of maximum reward is also the life that brings Christ maximum pleasure.

The Need for Self-Discipline 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. Lack of personal discipline endangers your reward. Like in the realm of sport, the Christian life requires effort. We are saved by undeserved grace. This requires no effort on our behalf. We simply entrust our lives to Jesus. Salvation is something done to us, and for us without effort on our behalf. Then, once saved, we are assisted by empowering grace. But this empowering grace requires some kind of effort and co-operation on our behalf. God seeks to change and use us and he does this in partnership with us. We are not passive but active in the Christian life. For example, God cant say no to sin, and yes to godliness and love for us. By his Spirit, he will certainly help us to do this, but he needs our faith- and love-motivated co-operation and effort. That is why Paul here compares the Christian life to a race that we are to run (v24) and to a boxer fighting an opponent (v26). The Corinthians hosted the famous Isthmian Games, which Paul here refers to as the games (v25). At this event, the worlds best athletes and boxers, amongst many other sportsmen, would converge in their city to compete. So this picture of running a race and boxing was a vivid image in the minds of those reading Pauls letter. Like in the realm of sport, the Christian life is motivated by the promise of reward, and the fear of not being rewarded. Winners in the games would get a prize, which was usually in the form of a crown. Hence Paul mentions the motivation of prize or crown no less than five times in these few verses. Some people wrongly read these verses to mean that Paul is teaching that he feared that he, and they, could lose their salvation. But this is not what Paul is teaching. He is speaking about the loss of reward, not the loss of salvation. We see that Paul was highly motivated to receive the crown or prize of reward that Christ had for him, and he was fearful of losing it, even after a long history of success so far (v27). Like in the realm of sport, the Christian life requires focus. Paul compares the unfocused Christian to an athlete running aimlessly and to a boxer punching out at no one in particular. The focus is the promise of

Gods reward. Christians are to be reward-motivated. When we consider the eternal stakes of the reward (They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever (v25)), this should make us even more focused. If we press this analogy too far, it may seem that there are only a few rewards available, and that Christians compete against each other for them. But that is not Pauls point. He is simply comparing the required focus of a winner with the required focus of a greatly rewarded Christian. Like in the realm of sport, the Christian life requires personal discipline. This is Pauls main point. Like sportsmen, Christians need to go into strict training (v25). For example, it takes much time, effort, and continued practice to become more knowledgeable about our faith, godly in our character, wise in our decision-making, and skilful in our ministry. Like sportsmen, we need to learn to master our bodies. Paul speaks of striking a blow to his body and making it his slave (v27). Here he is not speaking of the ascetic punishing of our bodies, and the need to deny ones self of all comfort and pleasure, as some excessive Christians have taken it to mean. He is simply saying, In the boxing ring of the Christian life, you fight against yourself against your bodys tendency to laziness, to comfort, to ease, to pleasure, to sin. The Christian life requires a degree of selfmastery. For example, we need to learn to manage our thoughts, desires, emotions, appetites, words, health, money, possessions, time, relationships and more. We need to manage these aspects of our lives in a way that pleases Christ and sets us up to succeed in his call on our lives. If we fail to discipline ourselves, we will likely fail to receive reward.

1 Corinthians 10
Warnings From Israel's History 1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Assurance of salvation does not equate to assurance of reward. Although a new chapter has begun, Paul seamlessly continues his teaching on reward started in 9:24-27. To help us understand the concept of reward or inheritance he briefly retells the story of the Israelites being rescued from Egypt. The parallels to the Christian life are self-evident Like the Israelites of old, the Christian has experienced salvation. Paul says, Our forefathers were all under the cloud and they all passed through the sea (v1). In the same way the Israelites experienced salvation from Egypt by the blood of a lamb and by the rescuing power of God (who opened up the Red Sea for them), so the Christian experiences spiritual

salvation by the blood of Christ, and by the rescuing power of God. The phrase under the cloud refers to the way Gods glory powerfully accompanied them. In the same way, God powerfully accompanies the Christian by indwelling them with his Spirit. Like the Israelites of old, the Christian is baptized in water as an expression of faith. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea (v2). The Israelites, who had just been saved from Egypt by the blood of a lamb, soon after experienced a figurative baptism as they followed Moses through the Red Sea. They were under the water (although they didnt get wet). In the same way, Christians who have just been saved by faith are to express their newfound faith in Christ by getting baptized in water. Like the Israelites of old, the Christian eats and drinks of Christ. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink (v3-4). Having been rescued from Egypt, the Israelites were miraculously sustained by God. He provided manna from the sky (Exodus 16:14-30), and on a few occasions provided water, once even from a rock (Exodus 17:1-7, Numbers 20:2-13). Paul then explains that it was the pre-incarnate Christ who was sustaining them. For they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ (v4). Similarly, Jesus teaches us that we are to be sustained by feeding and drinking from himself: For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me (John 6:55-57). Like the Israelites of old, the Christian has a promised inheritance or reward. The Israelites were saved out of Egypt. God powerfully revealed himself to them. He made a covenant with them. They belonged to him. But he also had a reward or inheritance for them. He wanted to take them into the Promised Land. In the same way God has a reward or inheritance for the Christian. Now that were saved, there is so much God wants us to achieve and receive, with his gracious help of course. Like the Israelites of old, the Christian can displease God and forfeit their inheritance. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert (v5). This is Pauls main point. Although all the Israelites were saved, baptized, sustained by Christ, and heading towards their inheritance, yet most of them never received the promised inheritance. They so displeased God, that they were disqualified from the reward he had for them. How shocking! Pauls point is vividly clear: just because weve experienced salvation and Gods presence, just because weve been baptized, just because weve experienced Christs sustenance, and just because God has promised us reward and inheritance does not mean well actually receive that reward. It is possible, if we persistently displease God, to miss out on that reward. The Corinthian Christians knew that they were saved. They had a deep assurance of salvation. But their mistake was to assume that just because they were saved, that the promised reward and inheritance that God had for them would automatically fall in their lap. Assurance of salvation is wonderful, but just because were saved does not mean reward is

automatic. 6Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them didand in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9We should not test the Lord, as some of them didand were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them didand were killed by the destroying angel. Persistent compromise endangers your reward. Paul highlights that the disastrous story of the first-generation Israelites serves as an example or warning to us as Christians. He then goes on to highlight four different ways that the Israelites compromised, and so doing, lost their chance of inheriting the Promised Land: 1) Idolatry is a sure way to lose reward. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were (v7). The Israelites worshipped the false gods of their age, and we are also in danger of being seduced by the false gods of our age. 2) Sexual immorality is a sure way to lose reward. As it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them didand in one day twenty-three thousand of them died (v7-8). Paul quotes Exodus 32:6 here. 3) Testing God (which means to sin in the hope that God will do nothing about it) is a sure way to lose reward. We should not test the Lord, as some of them didand were killed by snakes (v9). Paul is referring to Numbers 21:4-9. 4) Grumbling is another way to lose reward. And do not grumble, as some of them didand were killed by the destroying angel (v10). The Israelites, because of deep unbelief and a bent toward negativity, constantly complained about Gods dealings with them, and Moses leadership. Still today, when we, through unbelief and negativity, criticize God and spiritual leaders we displease God. Pauls point is this: persistent compromise, whatever it is, is a sure way to lose reward. Persistently displeasing God undermines the inheritance he wants to give us. 11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Failing to be careful about temptations power endangers your reward. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come (v11). This

verse guides us Christians in our use of all the stories recorded for us in the Old Testament. We have lessons to learn by looking at their lives. What a privilege it is that Christians are the ones on whom the fulfilment of the ages has come. We are the climax of the story that started thousands of years ago in ancient Israel. But our story still connects to theirs, which is why we have lessons to learn from them. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! (v12). When the Israelites were saved out of Egypt and started heading towards the Promised Land, do you think that they said to themselves, I cant wait to sin. Of course not. Probably they felt a fresh wave of confidence that from now on they would stand on their faith in the God who had just saved them. But the problem is that their confidence was in their own ability to withstand temptation, not in Gods ability to help them withstand it. They fell, because they were not spiritually prepared for the temptations that came their way. Still today, we must not be confident in our own ability to withstand temptation. We must rather humbly depend on God, and remind ourselves how susceptible we are to sin. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man (v13). The word seize suggests that temptation comes upon us like a predator. This picture is also found in Gods warning Cain about the reality of temptation he was facing: Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you (Genesis 4:7). And temptation comes upon every person. Sometimes we say to ourselves, No one experiences temptation like I do. I am all alone in this temptation. The truth is were not alone at all. Temptation is something we all experience. It will come our way, if not today then tomorrow. It is a fact of life in a fallen world. And it can come upon us with strength. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear (v13). Just because were susceptible to sin does not mean were doomed to defeat! Wonderfully, God will help us to withstand the temptation if we fully rely upon him. Although temptation may feel unbearable in the moment, the truth is that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to withstand it. Although he is not the source of the temptation (Satan and sin are), yet God promises to shelter us in such a way that the type, the intensity and the length of the temptations we experience will all bearable by his grace. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (v13). Apart from Gods enabling grace, were doomed to fall into sin. But if we refuse to be overconfident in our own ability to stand, and at the same time nurture a confidence in Gods ability to help us stand, we will stand in the time of temptation. He will provide a way out. Though it may not feel like it at the time, there is an end to the temptation. The Greek word translated way out can also be translated outcome. In other words, God promises a positive outcome that will motivate us to withstand the temptation. Pauls point is this: failing to be careful about temptations power endangers our reward. The Israelites lost their reward because they didnt sufficiently realize how weak they were, and how strong sin is. In an

unwise posture of self-reliance, they failed to depend heavily on God to help them stand. And they fell hard. Let us not make the same mistake. None of us, no matter how spiritually mature or experienced we are, can withstand temptation in our own strength. Let us cling to Gods grace to both discern the presence of temptation, as well as to withstand it, all the time reminding ourselves that we can bear this by Gods grace, and that there is a way out and an outcome at the end of all this that will make the agony of resisting temptation well worth it. Idol Feasts and the Lord's Supper 14Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 18Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. 22Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he? Arousing the Lords jealousy through idolatry endangers your reward. Paul continues the theme of reward into these verses. We know this because of the word therefore (v14). It is as though Paul is saying, Now that I have explained how reward can be lost, I want to specifically draw your attention to the way idolatry is threatening your reward. Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry (v14). Idolatry is the worship of false gods. We must remember that chapters 8-10 all have to do with the subject of many in the Corinthian church wanting to join in the pagan meals in the temples held in the honour of various gods. Chapter 9:1 to 10:13 have been speaking about some underlying issues related to this practice without mentioning it directly, but now Paul comes back to address it directly. Paul appeals to their capacity to reason when he says, I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say (v15). The argument that follows in verse 16-22 is essentially that in the same way that the Lords Supper is for Christians a way of fellowshipping with Christ and fellow-believers, so these pagan meals in the temples are a way of fellowshipping with the demon associated with the idol. Lets unpack these verses Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? (v16). The Lords Supper is a way of keeping the cross of Christ central in the life of a Christian and the church, with the wine

symbolizing Christs blood and the broken bread symbolizing the broken body of Jesus upon the cross. We are to take the Lords Supper with thanksgiving (for the wonderful salvation it accomplishes), and with faith that Christ is present. We also see that the bread of the Lords Supper symbolizes the way we as Christians are a body: Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf (v17). This is why the Lords Supper is something we participate in together and not in isolation. It celebrates our blood-bought oneness as a spiritual community. Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? (v18). Paul has just compared the Lords Supper with the pagan meals in the temple (v16-17). But there is a weakness in the comparison. In the Lords Supper the sacrifice had already happened long ago when Jesus died on the cross, whereas in the pagan meal the sacrifice had just happened. So Paul offers yet a second illustration from the Old Testament which more clearly connects the sacrifice with the presence of the one to whom it has been sacrificed: he refers to Deuteronomy 14:22-27 where some Israelites were permitted to sacrifice animals to God, and then together with their families eat some of it in the Presence of the Lord. Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons (v1920). Here is the essence of Pauls argument: though false gods are not real, yet there is a demonic presence associated with the worship of false gods. The same Greek word, here translated participants, is the word used of Christians participating in the blood and body of Christ (v16). It can also be translated fellowshipping or communing. Paul is reasoning with the Corinthians: dont you understand that there at these pagan feasts there is real fellowship with a demonic presence attached to the idol, much like in Christian gatherings there is real fellowship with the presence of Christ when the Lords Supper is taken? You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he? (v2122). We cant fellowship with Christ and with demons at the same time any more than we can have an affair. We certainly shouldnt try! If we do, we will displease Christ, and will experience the discipline that comes from his jealousy. Still today, as Christians we must be careful not to participate in religious ceremonies that invoke the presence of the deity or deities. We certainly can love people of other religions, and can enjoy times with them in more neutral events, but we are not permitted to participate in their worship ceremonies even if were reminding ourselves that we dont believe what they believe. Idolatry, and the jealousy it arouses in Christ, will cause us to lose much of what God wants to give us in terms of inheritance and reward.

The Believer's Freedom 23"Everything is permissible"but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 25Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." 27If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake 29the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? 30If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? 31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God 33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

1 Corinthians 11
1Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. Your liberty needs to be limited by love. Paul has already said that there are two main reasons why Christians should not participate in these ceremonies: 1) More sensitive and scrupulous Christians will feel like theyre sinning merely by being there (8:7-13); 2) In fact there is a demonic presence associated with the presence of the idol (10:20-22). Paul now says four more things on the issue 1) The main thing to keep in mind is what is best for other people here? (v23-24). Just because there is nothing technically wrong with doing something, does not mean that it will be beneficial and constructive to others. Our liberty is to be limited by love. 2) The meat previously sacrificed to idols can be eaten, since it is ultimately Gods (v25-26). It is not the meat that is the problem, but the presence of the idol itself. So, buying the meet once offered to an idol is no problem. (It is for this reason that Christians are free to eat meat that is Kosher or Halaal for example). 3) Although it is not best to join a non-Christian friend for a meal at a pagan feast, there is nothing wrong with joining them for a meal at their home, even if the meat eaten had previously been offered to an idol (v27). However, if while at the meal, a non-Christian person at the table feels that were not doing right as a Christian by eating this meat, then it is probably best to not eat the meat so as not to confuse that person (v2829a). Verse 29b-30 is difficult to understand because Paul here seems to suddenly say the exact opposite of what he had just said in verses 28-29a.

The solution seems to be that Paul is reaffirming that it is not wrong to eat idol-offered meat just because another person thinks so. The reason he lets another persons conscience dictate whether he eats the meat or not is not because theyre right, but because he believes it will be more helpful to them. 4) In all decisions, even with regard to what to eat, we should ask, What will help others to be saved, and so doing bring greater glory to God? (v31-33). When Paul had meals with non-Christian people he would refrain from those behaviours that might become a stumbling block, making it difficult to share the gospel with them. He limited his liberty by love. We too are to follow his example of sacrificial love, just like he follows Christs example of sacrificial love (11:1).

13) GENDER ROLES (11:2-16) Propriety in Worship 2I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you. 3Now I want you to realize that the head of every man (or husband) is Christ, and the head of the woman (or wife) is man (or husband), and the head of Christ is God. The relationship between the Father and Christ is similar to the relationship between a husband and a wife. In verse 2 Paul affirms that they held onto the teachings, which most likely refer to the fact that they at least still believed the essential gospel teachings about Christ. The word head used three times in this verse means headship or authority. The meaning of the word head has been hotly debated in many circles. Some argue that it can mean source (as in the head of a river). Although it can be used in that way, the New Testament doesnt use it that way. For example, Jesus is called the head of the church, which is a clear reference to authority (see Colossians 1:18 and Ephesians 1:10,22). To rearrange the order of Pauls three points: 1) God (referring to the Father) is the head of Christ. 2) Christ is the head of the man (which probably should be translated husband here). 3) And the husband is the head of the woman (which probably should be translated wife here). As we ponder points 1) and 3) we arrive at a key insight: the relationship between the Father and Christ sets the pattern for the relationship between a husband and his wife. Let us ponder the relationship between the Father and Christ. First, we note that they are equal with each other (see John 1:1, 5:18 and 10:3033). They are equal in divinity and attributes. Second, we note that they enjoy deep, joyful, intimate relationship with each other (see John 17:26). Third, we note that they partner together as a team on the common mission of creation and redemption. Fourth, we note that in the mission, Christ submits to the authority of the Father, who could be thought of as the captain of the Trinity on its mission (see John 3:17,

4:34, 6:38, 8:29, 12:49). Now consider the parallels with the husband and the wife relationship: First, the husband and the wife are both equal in status before God. For in Christ there is neither male nor female (Galatians 3:28). They are both equally loved children of God. Second, they are to enjoy deep, joyful, intimate relationship with one another. Third, they are to team together in the call that God has on their lives. Consider the original creation mandate given to the original married couple: Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28). Fourth, the husband is the captain of the team. The wife is to submit to the authority of the husband as they team together functionally in the call placed on their marriage by God. To qualify the leadership of the husband, we must also look at Ephesians 5:25, which highlights another pattern to be followed: the pattern of Christs relationship to the church. There we learn that the husband is to lay down his life in sacrificial love for his wife. Hence, we must affirm that the leadership by the husband of his wife is to be marked by sacrificial love, not domination or privilege.

The husbands authority flows from his submission to Christs authority. The previous point was made as we considered that God is the head of Christ and the husband is the head of the wife. But Paul how adds yet another insight by affirming that Christ is the head of the husband. So doing, he urges husbands to submit to Christs authority in their lives. What does this mean for husbands today? It means 1) Husbands are to be followers before they are leaders. In other words, his capacity to lead his wife is derived from his willingness to be led by Christs authority. 2) Husbands are not permitted to tell their wife to do anything that Christ in the Scripture forbids. For example, a husband may not ask his wife to lie for him on the phone, or to watch pornography with him. 3) Husbands need to concern themselves with setting the spiritual tempo of the marriage. He should initiate in such things as involvement in a church, or family devotions, or prayer times, or the study of the Scriptures. This does not mean that the wife should never take initiative in spiritual matters, but certainly it means the man should assume the responsibility of primary initiative taking. 4Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head. 5And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her headit is just as though her head were shaved. 6If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. Both men and women are to participate in Christian gatherings. Men and women are equally saved (Galatians 3:8). Men and women are equally Spirit-filled and sent (Acts 2:1-4, 18). And, as we see in this verse, both men and women are to participate in, and contribute in Christian gatherings. Both are encouraged to pray. And both are encouraged to

prophesy. Prophecy is the verbal sharing of some spiritual truth specifically highlighted by the Holy Spirit for the strengthening of the church. The Scriptures place just one restriction on women when it comes to ministry in the church: women may not be elders in a church (1 Timothy 2:9-3:7). Since it is the responsibility of elders to discipline the unrepentant heretic or sinner, to establish the doctrines of the church, and to set the overall direction of a church, these are beyond the scope of a womans ministry. But let me add two qualifications: First, this does not mean that spiritually mature women cannot, through sharing their perspective, assist male elders in doing so. Second, this does not mean women cannot lead in the church at all. It is true that eldership is male, but this does not mean that all that leadership is male. After all, the other kind of leader in the church is the deacon (see Philippians 1:1). And deacons may be female, as Phoebe was for example (see Romans 16:1-2). Also see 1 Tim 3:11, and the NIV footnote which says that the word woman here most likely refers to women deacons.

Christian women should not be extreme feminists or egalitarians. In verse 3 Paul made the central affirmation upon which the rest of this section (verses 4-16) builds: although men and women are equal, yet they are distinct from each other. There is such a thing as God-ordained gender roles in the home, where women are to assume a different role to men. There is such a thing as authority and submission. Now in verses 4-16 Paul applies this to church-life. First Paul addresses men (v4). He tells them to not have their heads covered. Some translators believe this refers to not having long hair. In that culture (although this is no longer true in many cultures today) a man who wore long hair was effeminate. We will comment more on this as we look at verses 7-9, which is addressed to men directly. Then Paul addresses the women (v5-6). He tells them to cover their head. Some translators believe this refers to tying their hair up in a respectful way, at least from the perspective of that culture. In that culture if a woman wore her hair down then she was an immoral prostitute, and if she shaved it off she was either a butch lesbian or androgynous. The question is why were some women in the church doing this? It appears that they rationalized that because they were as saved as the men were, and shared the same experience of the Holy Spirit that they were the same as, and equal to, men in every way. As extreme feminists or androgynists, they wrongly assumed that distinct gender roles could be thrown aside. There is no real difference between men and women, they argued. And as extreme egalitarians they rejected authority entirely. So, in that culture, by refusing to tie their hair up or wear a covering, they were publicly rejecting both the fact that woman are different to men, and the fact that they were to be respectful of authority. Paul was instructing them not to do this. What does it mean for the woman to not dishonour her head (v5)? Paul is using a play of words. He is saying that that as she dishonours her literal head (by looking like a prostitute or lesbian) she dishonours her figurative

head i.e. her husband, her father, the elders in the church, even her own reputation. In todays terms, it would be much like a woman who came to church dressed like a butch lesbian or a smutty prostitute. Through their appearance and behaviour, they would be sending out a clear message: I dont respect authority; no one tells me what to do with my life. So doing, they would dishonour their husbands, their fathers, the elders, and their very selves. How do we apply this to our day? First, we must realize the difference between the timeless truth and the cultural application in these verses. The timeless truths are that men should not dress effeminately, and extreme feminism is wrong, as is extreme egalitarianism. Women and men are different. Women should submit to their husbands. Everyone in a church should submit to the elders (Hebrews 13:17). And everyone should submit to Christ. And, we should find culturally appropriate ways of dressing and behaving accordingly. The cultural application in Corinth had to do with what people did with their hair. However, in most cultures today, the same associations dont necessarily apply. So we are to modify the application according to our own culture.

7A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. Christian men should embrace their responsibility to be men. Verse 4 says, Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head. Paul is confronting men who are acting in effeminate and cowardly ways. In that culture, if a man wore his hair long (which is probably what the phrase head covered here means), he was being effeminate, and was declining the call to be a man who courageously and lovingly assumed the responsibilities of manhood. The first reason Paul says this is wrong (see verse 4) is that it dishonours his head. This means that he dishonours the men over him, such as fathers and elders, as well as his very own reputation. But then Paul gives a second reason that men should not be cowardly or effeminate, but should rather assume their responsibilities A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man (v7). We know that both men and women are made in the image of God: So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27). But part of what it means to have the image of God is God-given authority or dominion. When we go back to the garden of Eden (as Paul is about to do) we see that the husband had authority over his wife. His authority over his wife and creation was derived from submitting to Gods authority. And her authority over creation was derived from submitting to both God and her husbands authority. Specifically, when it comes to the theme of God-given authority/responsibility, the image of God in Adam was greater than the image of God in the women. This is what Paul means by the man being the image and glory of God, while the woman is the glory of man. Once

we get over our feministic reactions to this verse, we see that there is something wonderful God is saying to men: it is such a glorious privilege to be a man in this world; every man needs to reflect God to his wife, his children and to the world as he lovingly assumes his God-given responsibilities. Today, we live in a time when men largely abdicate their responsibilities. We think of the first example of this in Adam, when he passively and silently did nothing while Eve was led into temptation. He abdicated his responsibility to lovingly lead his wife, and the consequences were dramatic. Still today so many men assume that being a man means they can refrain from responsibility. But the opposite is true. Think of men who want to have sex with a woman, but dont want to marry them. Think of men who fail to assume the responsibility of spiritual leadership of the home. Think of men who, out of laziness, fail to try and provide for their families. These men fail to reflect the glorious image of God they were destined to reflect in the world.

8For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. Gender roles in the home and church today must be patterned on gender roles before the fall. With regard to understanding gender roles in the home and church, there are three positions. 1) In extreme egalitarianism, there is no distinction between a man and a woman. 2) In hierarchical chauvinism, the man dominates the woman, who exists for his benefit. 3) In complementarian chivalry the man leads and serves the wife in a way that brings out her maximum contribution. But which one is right? Paul, in this verse, goes back to Genesis 2-3, which describes the garden of Eden before the fall of the human race, and looks at the marriage of Adam and Eve. He notes that the man did not come from woman, but woman from the man. Here he refers to the simple fact that Adam existed first. Then he notes that man wasnt created for the man, but woman for the man. It was Eve who joined Adams team, not the other way around. As we look at Edens marriage in Genesis 2-3, we notice a few things that clearly reveal a complementarian chivalry as Gods pattern for marriage: 1) Eve was made from Adams side. By being made from his side, she was clearly not to walk ahead of him, or behind him. This is a picture of equality. More than that, the fact that she was made from the middle of his body also speaks of equality. Had she been made from his head, this would have been a picture of her authority over him. Had she been made from his feet, this would have been a picture of his right to trample on her. We also see that Adam desperately needed Eve (Genesis 2:18). 2) Eve joins Adam on his mission. Adam was living out his God-given mission. When God gave him Eve, he did not give her a different mission to Adam. She came alongside him to share in that same mission as his helper (Genesis 2:20). The word helper is used of the Holy Spirit in the

New Testament, so this is not an insult of any kind. It means to come alongside in support of another. 3) Adam named Eve (Genesis 2:23). This is a clearly a picture of his leadership. And he names her woman and sees her as an extension of his very self. This is the highest honour he can give her. 4) God calls Adam to give account for the actions of both Eve and himself. After Adam and Eve fall into sin, God does not call both of them to himself to find out what happened. He calls the man (Genesis 3:9). This is clearly a picture of the mans responsibility to spiritually lead the marriage. Some egalitarian Bible teachers argue that before the fall of Adam of Eve, Adam had no authority over Eve, but instead they were total equals. But, listening to what Paul says in this verse, as well as simply reflecting on Genesis 2-3, we see that this is not the case at all. Before the fall even happened, the first marriage was to follow the pattern of complementarian chivalry. The husband is to lovingly partner with and lead his wife in a way that protects and provides for her, as well as encouraging her growth and contribution. And the wife is to lovingly partner with and submit to her husband in a way that encourages his growth and leadership. Each marriage is meant to be a team, captained by the husband, that benefits from the combined strength and wisdom of both team players. Let me add some personal commentary here. A girl said to my wife, I understand that the wifes job is to make herself invisible and just let her husband shine. To which my wife replied, Thats not true. In fact, though it is true that wife should seek to support her husband, the husband is meant to serve and lead his wife in a way that makes her shine. In fact, often you can tell how well a husband is loving and leading his wife, just by looking at the wife. If she is radiant and joyful, hes probably doing a good job. Well said! The husband is not meant to lovingly lead his wife for his own benefit, but rather for her benefit! But what about church-life? Does this verse mean that a woman can never lead any men, or that every woman must submit herself to every man in the church, or that every man must assume authority over every woman in the church? To all three questions: obviously not. But we can highlight two helpful points: 1) The highest authority in the local church is the male eldership team. They can delegate leadership authority to women who submit to their own leadership. 2) Each woman should seek to submit herself to trustworthy men in her life. It may be her father. It may be older brothers. It should include elders, who are male. Having said that, so should all men. Everyone is to be under authority at some point. 3) Men should be chivalrous to women in general. They should do what they can to protect women, and treat hem with respect and gentleness. 1 Timothy 5:2 teaches men to treat older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

10For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.

A womans authority comes as she submits to authority. In the original Greek the words sign of are not included. Rather, it says in effect: For this reason (i.e. the fact that she is under the mans authority) the woman has authority on her own head. Paul is saying that the woman has authority by submitting herself to authority. For example, think of the authority delegated to Eve over creation in Genesis 1:28. But Genesis 2 highlights that her authority over creation came from submitting to Adams authority. Genesis 3 reveals that the moment she no longer acted under his authority, she sinned and ultimately lost much of her authority. The point is clear: a womans authority comes as she submits to authority. What does and because of the angels mean? No one knows for sure, but it seems that the Corinthian church had some interest in the topic of angels because Paul twice refers to angels in his letter (see also 6:3). The one possible interpretation is that Paul means, Because of the angels who are watching while the church gathers. In other words, he implies that angels present in worship will be shocked by the lack of submissiveness in some woman. The second possible interpretation is that Paul means Because of the example of the angels who rejected Gods authority and so doing, became demons. In other words, he is giving one more reason for women to not rebel against God-given authority (which is what some women in the church were doing). 11In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. Men and women need each other. Paul has been arguing that a woman should have some male leadership in her life (both in the home and in the church). But he now wants to make very clear that he is not saying that men are superior to women in any way. Men are not superior and women are not inferior. Authority does not imply superiority, and submission does not imply inferiority. Paul says that men and women desperately need each other (v11). They are not to be independent from each other, but rather inter-dependent. Then Paul argues from creation for the basic interdependence: women need men. This is seen in the fact that Eve came from Adam. And men need women. This is also observable since every man since has been born of, and nurtured by a woman (v12). Still today, men and women need each other. Instead of competing against each other in the battle of the sexes, were meant to relate to each other in love, and function together in ways that draw on the strengths and contributions of both genders. After all, both men and women are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). If a church consisted only of men, much of the image of God would not be reflected. And vica versa.

13Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practicenor do the churches of God. Men should nurture their masculinity, and women their femininity. In Corinth many men looked like women, and many women looked like men. Armed with a misguided theology that gender was insignificant, some men in the church appeared and acted effeminate, and many women appeared and acted masculine. Pauls final arguments against this loss of femininity and masculinity are three-fold: 1) He argues from common sense: Judge for yourselves (v13). 2) He argues from culture: Does not the very nature of things teach you (v14). 3) He argues from common practice: we have no other practice (v16). Our cultural practices (especially with regard to masculine and feminine appearance) are different to theirs. The point, for us 2000 years later, is not head coverings and hair length. So what is the point for us? Answer: men need to be encouraged to be manly and masculine, and women need to be encouraged to be feminine, in appearance and behaviour in ways appropriate to whatever culture we find ourselves in. Obviously, this should not be applied legalistically, and it must be remembered that there will be great variety in various cultures.
We need to be highly intentional about reaching men in the church. Let me be highly practical in the point I now make. This point is not commentary of the text, but is rather pure application of the text to the current crisis in the church world-wide. This crisis? That the typical church is only 40% male! In terms of global trends in the West, there has been an overall feminization of culture. Men, because of their shocking track records of violence and abuse, have been encouraged to be less manly. But surely the solution to men who abdicate their responsibilities and abuse women, is not to make them more androgynous or feminine, but rather to restore a godly, servant-hearted, chivalrous masculinity to them. This feminization of culture is present in the church too. Shockingly, only 40% of Christians world-wide are male. And it has meant that a full third of Christian women have been unable to find Christian husbands. Now compare the current state with the original genetic of Christianity: picture Jesus, with his male disciples at his side, all pulsating with a deep sense of danger and mission, still sweaty from a several-day hike across the wild, walking into the temple courts and tossing the tables over in righteous anger. Weve lost something! This imbalance has resulted in a kind of church-life that is far more feminine in feel than the early church: for example, we sing lots of touchy-feely songs. We sit in groups and talk about our feelings. Most people would describe us as sweet. Most churches offer a safe, nurturing community, an oasis of stability and predictability. The problem is, thats not what men are looking for. Men are drawn to risk, challenge, and daring. Theres also a perception problem. Many guys feel church is a womens thing. Most men are introduced to Christianity by women nuns, or Sunday School teachers, or their mum. Boys meet a feminised Jesus a tender, sweet man in a shining white dress, and long permed hair to go. Worse, most volunteer opportunities in church involve traditionally female roles: singing, sewing, cooking, caring for kids, teaching, or planning social gatherings. Theres nothing for a guy to do, unless he has a passion for handing out bulletins or attending meetings. So what should we do about it? The problem is critical, because statistically, a lack of male participation is one of the

surest predictors of church decline. Whereas, when a church has a strong male presence, it is with very few exceptions a church that is growing. In an article, Why men hate church, David Murrow gives seven Principles for creating a man-friendly church. Here are his principles verbatim: Principle one: Cultivate a healthy masculine spirit in your church. A man must sense, from the moment he walks in, that church is not just for Grandma, it's something for him. It can't feel like a ladies' club. The quilted banners, fresh flowers, and boxes of Kleenex in our sanctuaries make a statement. So do practices such as holding hands with your neighbour, "prayer and share" times, or highly emotional displays. Our goal is not to get men to cry; it's to get them walking with God. Principle two: Make men feel needed and wanted. Encourage men to use their gifts, even if they don't fit traditional models of Christian service. Encourage them to serve the poor by working on cars or fixing up houses. Let men plan adventures and do "guy things" together. Principle three: Present Christ's masculine side. Pastors often focus on Jesus' tenderness and empathy. This is a good thing, but presenting soft Jesus week after week runs the risk of turning men off. Even more bewildering are today's praise songs many of which feature lovey-dovey lyrics set to a romantic tune. Guys may feel unnatural singing romantic words to another man. Men want a leader, not a love object. Principle four: Avoid feminine terminology. Christian men use terms such as precious, share, and relationship - words you'd never hear on the lips of a typical man. We talk a lot about the saved and the lost; men don't want to be either. And here's a term that puzzles a lot of guys: a personal relationship with Jesus. Christ's bold, masculine command, "Follow Me!" is now, "Have a relationship with Me." We've recast Jesus' offer in feminine terms. Principle five: Preach shorter sermons. I know pastors will hate this principle, but men say that "long, boring sermons" are the number one reason they avoid church. Thanks to TV, today's men have an attention span of six to eight minutes (the length between commercials). Why not use this to your advantage? Break your sermon into six- to eightminute segments with a song, drama, video clip, or object lesson in between. Remember, Jesus' most beloved lessons were his parables, none of which takes more than two minutes to teach. His parables survive today because men remembered them. Principle six: Become students of men. Although most pastors are male, few truly understand men. Women keep the ministry machine going, so pastors focus on keeping females happy and volunteering. This must change. I challenge every pastor to study men. A good place to start: read John Eldredge's bestseller, Wild at Heart. Principle seven: Create a culture of person-to-person challenge. In many a church, the pastor challenges from the pulpit, but the people don't challenge each other. Person-to-person discipleship, in small teams, is the only way to bring men to maturity in Christ. Where do you start? Choose a handful of men and personally disciple them, with the understanding that each man will recruit his own small group after one year. Continue to disciple these men as they become disciplers of others. This is the model Jesus left us.

14) THE LORDS SUPPER (10:16-18, 21-22 and 11:17-34) There are two different sections in the letter to the Corinthians that deal with the theme of the Lords supper. The first (10:16-18, 21-22) is brief. The second lengthier section (11:17-34) attempts to correct a misuse of the Lords Supper in the Corinthian church. But taken together, these two sections teach us much about the cross and the Lords supper 10:16Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation

in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. The Lords Supper is an opportunity to keep the cross central. There are at least four symbolic elements included in the Lords Supper: a) The cup of wine represents the blood of Christ that accomplishes salvation for us. b) The bread represents the physical body of Christ. The breaking of the bread represents the suffering of Christ on the cross. c) The drinking of the cup and the eating of the bread represent the way we currently experience (or said another way, take into ourselves) the benefits of the cross. d) The one loaf shared by many represents the fact that, though we are many, yet we are made one as we come to Christ and his cross. Listen to how the Message paraphrases these verses: When we drink the cup of blessing, aren't we taking into ourselves the blood, the very life, of Christ? And isn't it the same with the loaf of bread we break and eat? Don't we take into ourselves the body, the very life, of Christ? Because there is one loaf, our many-ness becomes one-nessChrist doesn't become fragmented in us. Rather, we become unified in him. The Lords Supper keeps the cross central in the life of a Christian and the church. The cross is the main thing. And regularly participating in the Lords Supper guarantees that the main thing is kept the main thing. Other than merely eating and drinking the Lords Supper, we need to bring two things to the table: First, gratitude. After all, the cup is called the cup of thanksgiving (v16). Were thankful for what Christ did for us on the cross. Second, faith. As we drink and eat we need to affirm by faith the benefits of Christs cross in our lives. 10:21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. 22Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he? The Lords Supper is an opportunity to renew our devotion to Christ. The Lords supper is here called the Lords table. Implied in this description is that Christ is present while we participate in the Lords supper. Some Corinthian Christians participated in both the Lords supper and the pagan festivals held in the honour of false gods (and attended by demons). But Paul highlighted that we cant enjoy both the Lords table and the table of demons at the same time. This provokes Christs jealousy. We cant be devoted to Christ and yet at the same time be devoted to false gods. The point is that as we participate in the Lords supper, and commune with the Lord himself, we renew our commitment to him as our exclusive Lord and Master. Implicit in the participation in the meal is a renewed surrender to Christ, and a renouncing of idolatry and sin. Listen to how the Message paraphrases these verses: And you can't have it both ways,

banqueting with the Master one day and slumming with demons the next. Besides, the Master won't put up with it. He wants usall or nothing. Do you think you can get off with anything less? Every time we join in the Lords Supper, we have an opportunity to renew our exclusive devotion to Christ. The Lord's Supper 11:17In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. 20When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, 21for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not! The Lords Supper is an opportunity to affirm our one-ness as Christians. When the church in Corinth gathered together they would eat a meal together. And part of the meal would be the Lords Supper. (Still today, it is acceptable to include the Lords Supper in a meal setting (just like Jesus did in the original Lords Supper (see Luke 22:14-19), however it can also be taken separately). This sharing of a meal and the Lords Supper would have provided a wonderful opportunity to affirm the one-ness of the church. In 10:17 Paul had written: Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. But sadly, the way some people went about the meal caused it to create divisions, not one-ness, in the church. It appears that the wealthy upper class (who probably had brought most of the food) saw themselves as superior to the poorer lower class. Because they had brought most of the food, they also ate most of the food. Previously, before the Corinthian church members were converted, they had participated in pagan feasts where social class was deeply embedded. The wealthy would sit together and would eat the best food, and drink the best drink. The tragedy is that they simply carried this class superiority over into the meal times of the church. The wealthy would help themselves first, and would eat most of the food (v21). Poor people would remain hungry, while wealthier people would over-indulge and even get drunk! Poor people were humiliated in the process (v22). Paul said this did their meetings more harm than good (v17). They had ruined the so-called Lords Supper so much that it could not be called the Lords Supper at all (v20). The church of God was despised in the process (v22). Paul had no praise for them in this (v17,22). The solution was to get rid of social snobbishness and any sense of class when the church gathered together. Wealth and poverty were to mean nothing! All were to be united by the gospel, which levels all people at the foot of the cross.

What does verse 19 mean? No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. It is a remarkable verse that means, There is one redeeming opportunity in this time of divisiveness: when Gods people are tempted to be divided (by differing social classes, or opinions on a matter for example), it is an opportunity for some character-filled Christians to take a stand for unity. God will smile with approval on these Christians. Still today, meal times and the Lords Supper provide a wonderful opportunity to affirm and strengthen the one-ness in the church. And sadly, still today, the moment can be missed, and some people can be made to feel less important, or excluded. It will take people of character to make sure that one-ness and not divisiveness is the result!

11:23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." The Lords Supper is an opportunity to access grace from God. The church has been divided historically by what Jesus meant when he said, This is my body. The Roman Catholic Church holds the idea of transubstantiation, which teaches that the bread and the wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus. Martin Luther held the idea of consubstantiation, which teaches that the bread remains bread and the wine remains wine, but by faith they are the same as Jesus actual body. Luther did not believe in the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, but he did not go far from it. Calvin taught that Jesus presence in the bread and wine was real, but only spiritual, not physical. Zwingli taught that the bread and wine are mere symbols, but that they represent something glorious: the body and blood of Jesus. Participating in them provide an opportunity to access grace from God by faith. But who is right? Answer: Zwingli is certainly right. We know this because Jesus was standing right there with his disciples when he said, This is my body. This is my body means This represents my body (in much the same way that The seven lamps are the seven churches (Revelations 1:20) means The seven lamps represent the seven churches. However, these symbols provide an opportunity to freshly access grace from God. We use the Lords Supper prayerfully to draw close to Jesus in gratitude for what he has done for us on the cross. And as we draw near to him, he draws near to us (James 4:8). The symbols help direct our prayers and faith. So doing, they become channels of blessing to us. Jesus is not literally, or spiritually, present in bread and wine, but he comes close to us when we use the sight and taste of the bread and wine to thank him for the cross, and to take the cross ever-deeper into our lives.

The Lords Supper is an opportunity to obey Christs instructions given at the Last Supper. Paul said, for I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you (v23). Here he claims that he received from the Lord the instruction to make the Lords Supper a vital part of Christian gatherings. What does he mean by this? It is possible that he got these precise words from the apostles, who got it directly from the Lord himself. So Paul did get it from the Lord Jesus but via the apostles. It is however likely that the Lord Jesus powerfully confirmed to him the importance of this practice, and its meaning. Christians have at least two ordinances binding upon us: baptism and the Lords Supper. Christ participated in both of them, and he commanded that his disciples did the same. The so-called Last Supper (recorded in Luke 22:14-20) was the moment Christ gave this meal to his followers. It was the annual Passover meal, where the Jews re-enacted the events of Exodus 12 through a meal. In Exodus 12, God spared ancient Israel from his own judgment the slaying of all the firstborn in the land, and set the nation of Israel free from the tyrant grip of Egypt. God commanded them to sacrifice a lamb and to smear its blood on the sides and the top of their doorposts. When the destroying angel visited in the night, he passed over such homes sparing them from judgment. That same night the Israelites were commanded to eat unleavened bread, because leavened bread would have taken too long to prepare. Every year during a Passover meal they would eat a sacrificed lamb, eat unleavened bread and drink four cups of wine. The night before his crucifixion, Jesus transformed the Passover Meal into something new the Lords Supper. First, he claimed to be the fulfilment of the annual Passover meal! He himself was the sacrificed lamb. And the bread represented his body, and the wine represented his blood. Second, he took the symbols of bread and wine, which were now loaded with new meaning, and instructed his disciples to use them regularly not just annually, and not just in the Passover meal. It is for these reasons that the Lords Supper is not optional. It is a basic part of being Christs disciple. Jesus instructed the apostles to teach his disciples everywhere, up till the end of the age, to do everything he commanded (see Matthew 28:18-20). The Lords Supper is one of those instructions. Having established that the Lords Supper is not optional, do we need to participate in it every time we meet as Christians? Apparently not. Christ only insisted that it be done, not that it be done in every Christian meeting. The Lords Supper is an opportunity to celebrate the new covenant put into place by Christs blood. Paul quotes Jesus as saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood (v25). Luke adds the phrase, which is poured out for you (Luke 22:20). Jesus claimed that his death on the cross, and the blood that was shed there, instituted a new covenant between God and people. The word covenant speaks of an agreed-upon arrangement of relating. Remarkably,

Jesus death mediated a whole new possibility of relating to God in a new way, in a way different, for example, to the old covenant, which had been mediated through Moses, between God and ancient Israel. But what has blood got to do with making covenants? In the ancient world, covenants were usually instituted with the shedding of blood. For example, even the making of the old covenant via Moses included the shedding of blood (Exodus 24:8). What is the new covenant all about? Stunningly, the prophet Jeremiah pre-announced the future coming of a new covenant between God and humanity centuries before it came to pass. This new covenant would be all about an inner transformation that cleanses us from all sin (For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more (Jeremiah 31:34)). It would include God putting his will and word inside of us, not just on tablets of stone as he did with Moses (I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts (Jeremiah 31:33)). It would involve a new, close, relationship with God (I will be there God, and they shall be my people (Jeremiah 31:33)). Amazingly, Jeremiahs prophecy has been fulfilled. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can have a new covenant relationship with God. Christs blood means that all those who trust in Christ experience inner transformation, internalization of Gods word, and a close relationship with God. What an amazing covenant Christ has cut between us and God, through the shedding of his blood!

26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. The Lords Supper is an opportunity to remember and to proclaim the cross. In verses 24-25 Jesus said that we are to eat the bread and drink the cup in remembrance of him, and now in verse 26 we see that we do it as a way of proclaiming his death. Let us look at these two words. The Lords Supper helps us to remember the cross. When Jesus told the apostles to do this in remembrance of me he didnt mean, Dont forget me, your old friend, when Im gone. Jesus was crucified but Jesus is still alive! He is not a dead Saviour, but a living one. When Jesus said these words, he meant that we need to, through this meal, to keep on reminding ourselves what he did for us on the cross. Let me use a modern story to illustrate: Three times a month, Jermaine Washington and Michelle Stevens get together for what they call a "gratitude lunch." With good reason! Washington donated a kidney to Stevens, whom he described as "just a friend." They met at work where they used to have lunch together. One day Michelle wept as she spoke about waiting on a kidney donor list for 11 months. She was being sustained by kidney dialysis, but suffered chronic fatigue and blackouts and was plagued by joint pain. Because Washington couldn't stand the thought of watching his friend die, he gave her one of his kidneys. Similarly, the Lords Supper is a gratitude meal in which we, in the presence of Christ himself, remind ourselves what has been done for us, and thank him for it.

The Lords Supper proclaims Christs death. The word proclaim can also be translated preach. The gospel message preaches Christs atoning death in word-form, but the Lords Supper preaches Christs atoning death in picture-form. We need both words and pictures. But to whom do we proclaim Christs death, and the salvation it accomplished, when we partake in the meal? There are several audiences. First, we proclaim the gospel to ourselves, personally, while we eat and drink. We desperately need to be reminded of the cross. We tend to forget its significance in our lives. Second, we proclaim the gospel to each other. As we share the Lords Supper together, we remind each other of the central place the cross should hold in our lives. Third, we proclaim to a watching world. The Lords Supper is something observable to non-Christians who might show interest in this component of our getting together. It vividly explains the essence of our faith to them. Notice the last phrase until he comes. When Christ returns we will have a consummate meal. He told his disciples: I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom (Matthew 26:29). While the Lords Supper does look back to what Jesus did on the cross, it also looks forward to the coming of Jesus, and to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). In heaven, we will not continue the regular practice of the Lords Supper because we will no longer need any reminding the realities of Christ crucified for our salvation will be as blindingly obvious as the sun itself!

27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. 33So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions. The Lords Supper is an opportunity to examine our way of relating to fellow-Christians. Taken out of context these verses seem to encourage us to go through a lengthy process of carefully repenting of all known sin before we participate in the meal. Though repentance is a good practice, this is not what these verses actually teach. These verses must be read in the context of verses 17-22 or else we will tend to misinterpret them. In those verses we see that the wealthy upper class (who probably brought most of

the food) saw themselves as being superior to the poorer lower class. Because they had brought most of the food, they also ate most of the food. The wealthy would help themselves first, and would eat most of the food (v21). Poor people would remain hungry, while wealthier people would over-indulge and even get drunk! Poor people were humiliated in the process (v22). This is why Paul concludes this section with a call to basic consideration of others (v33-34). All that to say, that when they shared in the Lords Supper it was done in an unworthy manner (v27) and in a way that sinned against the very significance of the body and blood of the Lord (v27). They failed to recognize the body of the Lord (v29) which here is a reference to the church body, not the bread in the Lords Supper. They ate the Lords Supper without appreciating the high value God placed on their unity, a unity that was made possible by the death of Christ. So when Paul instructed them to examine themselves (v28), he was instructing them to evaluate if they were acting in a loving way toward each other. The teaching of these verses therefore is that the Lords Supper is an opportunity to examine our way of relating to others. It is a time to re-affirm that, because of Christs sacrifice, we are indeed one body with fellow-believers and that we should act accordingly. What happens when we fail to love each other, and when we participate in the Lords Supper without any thought about whether were loving each other? Answer: we potentially invite an experience of Gods discipline (v29). Paul even suggests that the reason that many in their church had got sick and had died prematurely was because they had so failed to love each other (v30). It is as though the spiritual sickness of the church body manifested itself in the physical sickness of many of their physical bodies. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment (v31). This verse tells us that instead of God firmly dealing with our divisiveness and loveless-ness, we should deal with ourselves so that God doesnt have to deal with us. But even if God does deal with us firmly in this life, he does it in love because he wants to spare us from the terribleness of being dealt with on Judgment Day (v32). Hed rather sort us out here, than there.

15) THE MIRACULOUS GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT (12:1-11)

1 Corinthians 12
Spiritual Gifts 1Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. There are two dangers with regard to spiritual gifts: misuse and non-use. Many churches today misuse the gifts. The church in Corinth seemed to easily flow in the gifts of the Spirit. Paul had already commended them for being rich in the gifts of speaking and knowledge (1:5). But as we explore 12:1-14:40 we will see that they misused the spiritual gifts. They were not ignorant of the existence of the spiritual gifts, but rather of the proper

use of the gifts. Still today many churches have a great interest in the gifts of the Spirit, and yet seem to make many of the very same mistakes that the church in Corinth made with regard to the use of the gifts. On the other hand, many churches today have little experience of the gifts of the Spirit. Many Bible teachers even argue that the gifts of the Spirit are no longer needed in the church as they were needed in the early church, because we now have the Bible (whereas they didnt yet have a compiled Bible). Of course this line of argument is heretical, as we will see when we get to 13:10. The other reason that spiritual gifts are often rejected is because many people have only been exposed to the misuse of the gifts and have been repelled. But surely the better response is to not opt for the non-use of the gifts, but rather the correct use of them. A third reason that spiritual gifts are not present in many churches is that they have not been taught to exercise the gifts. My experience has been that often a church needs to be introduced to life in the Spirit by other churches and Christian leaders who seem to move in the Spirit.

2You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. Not every spiritual experience is the Holy Spirit at work. There are many spiritual experiences outside of Christianity. For example, most of the Corinthian church had spiritual experiences as pagans before they became Christian. A study of ancient pagan religion reveals that, as they worshipped the gods, they commonly pursued and experienced ecstatic experiences which included such things as high levels of excitement, receiving visions and revelations, giving inspired utterances, trances and physical phenomena. In other words, before they came to experience the Holy Spirit, they were already familiar with spiritual experiences of all kinds. Today, in the West, there has been an explosion of interest in ancient pagan religions, as well as the occult, which has made it possible for many people to have all kinds of spiritual experiences. There are three possible sources for spiritual experiences. First, the Holy Spirit can generate spiritual experiences. Second, demons can generate spiritual experiences. According to Paul, although the pagans worshipped mute idols (v2), there were demonic spirits involved in their worship (see 10:20-21). Evil spirits seek to counterfeit the work of the Holy Spirit. Third, the flesh can delude a person or people into thinking theyre having a spiritual experience. The power of the mind, of manipulation, of imagination, of emotionalism, or of the capacity to work ones self up into a frenzy all contribute to a persons capacity to think theyre encountering the world of spirit, when in truth they are not. Just because a Christian or a church has a spiritual experience does not mean it is an authentic one. Undiscerning Christians can easily mistake an experience or revelation from the Holy Spirit with one from the flesh, or

even from the devil. For example, it is quite possible that many of the spiritual experiences that were happening in the Corinthian church were not from God. Still today, we must exercise discernment. Not everyone who believes theyre being led by the Spirit to do something really is being led by the Spirit. The mark of a spiritual experience that truly comes from the Holy Spirit is one that focuses on the lordship of Jesus. In paganism the spiritual experiences all pointed to whatever idol was at the centre of the specific pagan sect. To worship false gods was effectively to declare Jesus be cursed (v3). But the Holy Spirit always exalts Christ! The sign that a spiritual experience is most likely authentic is that the person who experiences it has a greater revelation of Jesus as Lord, and a greater capacity to submit to Christs leadership, and to reflect his character. Interestingly, when a charismatic or Pentecostal church, in their pursuit of experiencing the Holy Spirit, end up focusing more on the person of the Spirit than they do on the person of Christ, they are greatly susceptible to deception. After all, Jesus described the ministry of the Spirit like this: He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you (John 16:14-15). This all means that we should not measure spiritual experiences by how wonderful or exciting they felt, but rather by whether Christ, in all his power and purity and authority, has become more real to us. Let me give an illustration: imagine a mountain in the middle of a city that is lit up at night by giant flashlights. Now imagine a group of people gathering around the flashlight, being dazzled by how bright and warm it is. Somethings wrong with that, right? The flashlight doesnt exist to draw attention to itself but rather to the mountain it is lighting. Christ is the mountain. And the Spirit is the flashlight. The Spirit is the one who highlights Christ to us. The Spirit does not primarily want to draw attention to himself, but rather to Christ.

4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. The same Triune God uses people in totally in different ways. In these three verses, Paul refers to the three-ness of God (Spirit (v4), Lord (Jesus) (v5), and God (v6)). There is only one God, but this God reveals himself simultaneously as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is the doctrine of the Trinity, which can be summarized by seven statements: There is one God. The Father is God. Jesus, the Son of the Father, is God. The Spirit is God. Yet the Father is not the Son. And the Son is not the Spirit. And the Spirit is not the Father. These seven statements summarize the biblical teaching; and the theological word Trinity includes these thoughts. Paul employs a poetic style of writing here. He does not mean that only the Spirit bestows various kinds of gifts, and only Jesus bestows various

kinds of service, and only the Father bestows various kinds of working. He means that it is the Spirit, Jesus and God (all three) that betsow different kinds of gifts, service and works (all three). On the one hand Paul is emphasising the unity of the church. Since all Christians receive their different kinds of gifts / service / working from the very same God, so we are to affirm and protect our essential unity. But on the other hand Paul is also emphasising the diversity of the church, the diversity of contributions by each Christian in the church. The word kinds can also be translated allocations, so Paul is saying that we each receive different allocations of gifts / service / working. What do these three phrases mean? We need to note that there is an overlap in meaning. It is difficult to neatly define each one. Gifts refers to gifts graciously given by God. Service refers to ministries that serve. Workings refer to demonstrations of power. The point Paul is making is that there is extreme variety in the church. God is a creative God and there are no two Christians that are gifted and used in exactly the same way. And there are multiple (literally millions) of different ways that God could choose to use an individual Christian to do his bidding, not to mention uncountable different settings where Gods work can be done. We must be careful not to imitate, or compare ourselves with each others contributions and styles. Much better to rather find Gods unique plans to use us.

7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. Much can be learnt about spiritual gifts in these few verses. The gifts all come from the same source: the Spirit. When reading these verses, we tend to focus on the list of gifts. But Paul us not emphasising the list of gifts as much as he is emphasising their common source. Paul tells us that each of these is by or through the same Spirit, repeating the idea five times and concluding with the statement All these are the work of one and the same Spirit (v11). Though there is great variety in the ways the Spirit may work through people, yet we are to be united by the fact that it is the same Spirit at work. Some gifts are more miraculous in nature. By miraculous I mean being able to do things, or know things, or say things that one could not with merely natural capacities. When one does a study of spiritual gifts in the New Testament, we can see that there are many gifts that would not be best described as miraculous. For example, many of these are listed in Romans 12:7-8, which tells us that if our gift is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to

show mercy, do it cheerfully. Although, these too are accomplished by special grace given to us from God (see Romans 12:6), they are not as obviously miraculous (with the exception of prophesy). However, the list of gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 are all obviously miraculous in nature. The miraculous gifts come in great variety. We need to read these verses in the light of chapter 14, where it becomes apparent that the Corinthian church was besotted with the gift of tongues. It seems that when they would gather, everyone who had the gift of tongues, would rattle off in tongues all at the same time. So Paul here lists several different kinds of gifts and lists tongues, and its related gift, the interpretation of tongues last. Still today, there are some gifts we tend to become attached to and collectively emphasise, at the lack of other gifts. It is good to keep a list like the one in verses 8-10 in front of us to remind us that there is great variety when it comes to the gifts. The miraculous gifts are a manifestation of the Spirits presence. What does the phrase manifestation of the Spirit (v7) mean? The phrase is another name for spiritual gifts. The word manifestation means signs or revelations. Paul is about to list nine examples of how the Spirit can manifest himself in a Christian worship time (v 8-10). Paul is saying that, though the Spirit is always present in the church (see 3:16), there are times when it becomes very obvious to all that he really is present. As we reflect on the contributions in the life of the church, and in Christian gatherings, we should be able to see more than merely human contributions. It should become obvious that the Spirit of God is present and is powerfully at work. On this point, we might want to reflect on our own church, and on our Christian gatherings. Hopefully, we will see many different people contributing in some way for that is part of Gods plan for the church and its gatherings. But as we look at these contributions, does it become obvious that the Spirit of God is present, orchestrating and using these contributions, working for the common good? That is certainly Gods plan for the church, and for its gatherings. The miraculous gifts are not necessarily permanently bestowed upon anyone. It is common nowadays to be asked what ones gift is. The thought behind this question is that we receive a gift permanently from God. But this is not always the case. Paul is here writing about what could happen any time Christians gather in worship, and the Spirit is present. So when he says, To one there is given he means In the meeting, to one there is given In other words, this does not mean that God will always use the same Christian in the same way. One meeting a person may prophesy, another meeting that same person may be used to minister healing to someone. Having said that, it is true that some people will seem to consistently excel in one manifestation of the Spirit (see, for example, 1 Cor 12:28 and Rom 12:6 which seem to refer to the permanent bestowal of the gift of prophesy). But we must not lock ourselves in by saying, Because God used me in a certain way in the past, that is the only way he will ever use me. My experience has been that, given enough time, in a church that encourages the healthy exercising of these gifts, many Spirit-filled Christians have, at different times, been used in most or

sometimes all of the nine ways listed here although most tend to be used in one or two ways on a more regular basis. The miraculous gifts seem to thrive in the context of the church gathered in worship, but they are not limited to gatherings. The entire context of chapters 11-14 is the worship gathering. Paul is here speaking about what happens in meetings. We need to remind ourselves that the miraculous gifts have an opportunity to thrive when were gathered as Christians, and the Spirit is powerfully present. But, we need to also look at the life of Jesus, and the example of the early church, and see that the miraculous gifts are not limited to worship gatherings. A study of the gospels shows that Jesus regularly moved in the first seven gifts of the Spirit in his everyday ministry in everyday settings. For an example of this see John 1:45-51 where Jesus impacts a cynical man, Nathaniel, by miraculously knowing things about him (namely that some time earlier he had been sitting under a fig tree (v48)), and by prophetically declaring some things God had planned in the future for his life (v50-51). Not only Jesus miracles but most of the miracles in the book of Acts happened not in a Christian meeting, but rather out in the open in everyday settings. My own understanding of this is that Christians should develop their confidence in moving in the miraculous gifts of the Spirit in worship gatherings, but then should also trust God to use them similarly out in the market place. When the gospel is preached, and these gifts are exercised in a way that confirms the gospel, they seem to heighten the impact of the gospel upon the lives of non-Christians. The miraculous gifts are meant for the common good (v7). What is meant by the phrase, for the common good? Gods aim is that the church would thrive in its mission to this world. God wants the church to experience high levels of encouragement, godliness, worship, faith, love, and effectiveness in its mission to the world. The goal of the Holy Spirits work is always to glorify Jesus and to build his nature and character in us. The Spirits goal is never to merely tantalize us, and certainly not to confuse us, but rather to change our lives, and to nurture the fruit of the Christs character in us (see Gal 5:22-23). The use of gifts should not draw attention to the person God is using, but rather to Christ. And they should be used for the good of others, not for the exaltation of self. They are tools for advancing the fame of Christ, not trophies for advancing the fame of self. Many of the miraculous gifts overlap and interplay. There will often be a wonderful collaboration between the gifts. For example, the gift of discerning of spirits may show you what is going on behind the scenes in the spiritual realm, and then a word of wisdom will show you how to handle that situation. The ultimate collaboration is of course tongues and interpretation. There is also sometimes overlap between the gifts. For example, it is sometimes tricky to know the difference between a word of knowledge and the discerning of spirits, and between the gift of faith and the gift of healing because you need a whole lot of faith to minister a healing! The miraculous gifts are allocated sovereignly by the Spirit. He (the Spirit) gives them to each one, just as he determines. The Holy Spirit is

God, and is therefore fully in charge. He is the one who chooses who is used in which way. The gifts are allocated by the Spirit. We cannot manipulate him to use us in a specific way. And in any particular meeting, or season of a churchs life he may indeed pour out one gift more than another, and seem to hold back other gifts. However, the miraculous gifts require active faith and stepping out on our behalf. Although the Spirit ultimately decides who is used in what way, we should still eagerly desire the spiritual gifts, and even trust God for a greater flow of specific gifts in our lives (see 1 Cor 14:1,12). We may find that God tends to use us in one or two ways fairly regularly. In that case, we could humbly but confidently say, I have the gift of healing or I have the gift of discernment. And, if we find Gods grace flowing in a specific way, we can still trust God for yet a greater flow in that area of our lives. We can do so by regularly asking God for more of it, learning from people who have this gift, and being alert to opportunities to use it. We can also learn from our errors in the use of the gift(s), since the exercise of various gifts usually has some common pitfalls.

Five of the listed gifts could be categorized as speaking gifts. These five gifts are all gifts of Spirit-inspired speech, where God uses our words: The word of wisdom. o Probable definition: The God-given ability to know what to say about dealing with a challenging or complex situation. o A biblical example: Solomon asked God for the gift of wisdom. Shortly thereafter 2 women came to him both claiming that a baby belonged to them. Solomon ordered that the baby be cut in half so they could have half each. This proclamation caused the real mother to say No, give the child to her, thus revealing that she was the real mother (1 Kings 3v16). As unconventional as that wisdom was, it was the exact wisdom needed to help deal with the specific situation. o Comment: Although there is such a thing as natural wisdom which comes from much life experience, this verse shows us that God can give us wisdom in dealing with a situation despite our lack of experience. A person who is often used in this way will usually be someone who has much life experience and yet is also greatly dependent on God for wisdom. It seems that, sometimes, God brings the best of the persons experiences to mind but at other times enables them to just know what to do despite lack of prior experience in this regard. o Possible other meaning of the message of wisdom: Since Paul himself does not offer definitions, we must be humble enough to admit we dont know exactly what Paul means by this phrase. Some credible Bible scholars argue that it refers to the God-given ability to preach in a way that emphasises the practical application of Gods Word and the gospel to life. The word of knowledge. o Probable definition: The God-given ability to miraculously know

specific information about a person or situation. o Two biblical examples: 1) Jesus said that a woman he just met had already had five husbands and that the man she was with was not even her husband at all. This led to the conversion of many of her friends and family (John 4:18,39). 2) Jesus knew about the location of a colt and how exactly to get the use of that colt (Luke 19:2934). o Comment: We usually know things through observation or through someone telling us. It is fascinating that God sometimes chooses to disclose information supernaturally. We suddenly know something but the normal means of coming to that knowledge have been bypassed. Of course we will need wisdom with regard to what to do with the knowledge that we know. Perhaps it leads us to pray for the person. Or perhaps we share it with them by simply stating, I believe God told me Or perhaps we, through not being sure, do some simple investigating to see if what we believe God has told us is true. But we must do something with this knowledge. o Possible other meaning of the message of knowledge: Since Paul himself does not offer definitions, we must be humble enough to admit we dont know exactly what Paul means by this phrase. Some credible Bible scholars argue that it refers to the God-given ability to preach in a way that reveals a deep grasp of the entire teachings of the Bible. Prophecy. o Definition: The God-given ability to deliver a direct message from God to a person or group of people. o Comment: The Bible is full of the use of this gift. Whenever someone spoke a message from God, they were prophesying. The prophets in the Old Testament (i.e. Isaiah to Malachi) are largely extended messages from God. The epistles, written by people such as Paul and James, were teachings and exhortations inspired by the Spirit himself. There are many different levels of the use of this gift. 1) There is general encouragement. Whenever a Christian is speaking or writing to a person or group of people and God seems to be using them as they do so, that would be prophetic. In 1 Peter 4:11 were told, If you speak, you should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. What is being shared does not need to be highly specific; it might simply be general truths of the Scripture. Although all of the Bible is for all of Gods people at all times, yet prophecy highlights some of the truths of the Bible for some of Gods people at a specific time. 2) Then there are more specific words that either help a person make sense of their past, or their current season, 3) Then there are directive or corrective words that call a person to change and to a specific decision (see Acts 11:2728). We will learn more about this gift in our study of 1 Corinthians 14. Different kinds of tongues. o (For detailed commentary on this subject see the commentary of 14:1-5 that says, God gives some people the gift of tongues.)

o Definition: The supernatural ability to experience Gods closeness by worshipping or praying to God in a language we dont understand. o Comment: It might sound like gibberish to an outsider, but it is in fact a God-given ability to speak in a language we dont understand. Usually it is not a language that exists in this world. Paul later calls it the language of angels (13:1). But sometimes, and this happens very rarely, we speak a language that does exist elsewhere in the world, though we have never learnt it (see Acts 2:4-10). There are two main kinds of tongues: 1) There is the personal tongue, which one incorporates into their personal prayer life. Interestingly, Paul later seems to claim that he prayed in tongues on his own very regularly (14:18). The gift of personal tongues seems to be a gift that God commonly gives (see Acts 2:4, 11:46, 19:6). 2) There is the public tongue we will explore this more in chapter 14 where God prompts a person to pray in tongues aloud in a Christian gathering, with the anticipation there will be an interpretation, which leads us to the next gift Interpretation of tongues. o Definition: The miraculous ability to discern the meaning of a public tongue and to deliver this message to a group of people. o Comment: Following a public tongue, either the person who brought the tongue (1 Cor 14:13) or more commonly another person (1 Cor 14:26-28) is empowered by God to share the meaning of this tongue. In other words, it functions as a kind of prophetic word. There is one thing that tends to, though there may be exceptions, distinguish it from typical prophecy: in a prophetic word, a message is brought from God to the people. The communication is God-tous. But when speaking in tongues, were praying to or praising God as the Spirit empowers us to. So the communication is us-to-God (see 1 Cor 14:2-4 and Acts 2:4-11, especially verse 11). My point is that if an interpretation is rightly given, it would usually (of course there may be exceptions) be in the form of a prayer or expression of praise that the Spirit is leading us to. So doing, it highlights a specific aspect of God and is designed to draw us deeper into prayer or worship. We will explore this more in chapter 14.

Two of the listed gifts could be categorized as revelation gifts. These two gifts can be called revelation gifts because God reveals something to us. Faith. o Definition: The supernatural certainty that God is going to do something. o Biblical examples: 1) When David stepped out to fight Goliath (1 Sam 17). 2) When Peter walked on the water (Mt 14:29). 3) When the Centurion said to Jesus, Just say the word and my servant will be healed (Mt 8:8). 4) Most great leadership initiatives require the gift of faith (e.g. Abraham leaving his homeland, Noah building the ark, Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem). 5) In Acts 14:9-10, while

Paul is preaching he sees a crippled man that he spiritually perceives to be highly receptive, and he knows that this man is about to be healed, so he confidently commands him to stand up. And the man is healed. o Comment: Every believer, by definition, has faith in Christ for their salvation, and most believers will develop their overall trust in Gods ability to guide them and to provide for them in the future. But the gift of faith is something far more specific than this general faith. It is when the Spirit of God gives someone supernatural certainty that something is about to happen. This is the kind of faith that can move mountains (1 Cor 13:2). In our own strength, we can try to self-generate psychological certainty that God will act in a specific way in a situation, but this is not the same thing as the gift of faith. The gift usually functions in tandem with other gifts, such as healing or miracles. Heres a personal example: Sometimes in an evangelistic meeting, I just know with total certainty that there are several people ready to turn to Christ and I urge them to do so. When God grants me this certainty beforehand, the results usually dont disappoint. Distinguishing between spirits. o Definition: The miraculous ability to discern 1) whether it is the devil or God or merely a human agenda at work in a person, situation or revelation someone is sharing, or 2) what is really happening in a persons heart in a specific situation. o Biblical examples: 1) When Jesus says to Peter, Get behind me Satan (Mt 16:23). Of course, it was Peter speaking not Satan, but Jesus discerned the spirit behind what he was saying. 2) When Peter discerned that Ananias and Sapphira had a lying spirit (Acts 5). 3) When Peter discerned the motives of Simon the Sorcerer by saying, You have no share in this ministry because your heart is not right before God (Acts 8:18). 4) When Paul discerned that a very Christian sounding slave girl was in fact operating in a demonic spirit (Acts 16:16). 5) When Jesus discerned the inner thoughts of the Pharisees: Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? (Mark 2:6-8) o Comment: This important gift reveals when things are not as they appear to be. It is not the same as discernment which refers to general wisdom and experience that most people develop to varying degrees.

Two of the listed gifts could be categorized as power gifts. These two gifts are gifts of power, where God acts powerfully through us. The gifts of healing. o Definition: The miraculous ability to minister physical or emotional healing to someone.

o Biblical examples: The power of the Lord was present to heal (Luke 5:17). Jesus was a man anointed by the Holy Spirit, who went around doing good, and healing all who were under the power of the evil one (Acts 10:38). Jesus, sending out the 72 said, When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, The kingdom of God is near you (Luke 10:8). Peter, commenting on a man who was healed by him said, By faith in the name of Jesus this man was made strong. It is the faith that comes through Jesus that has completely healed him (Acts 4:16). o Comment: Notice the language: the gifts of healing. Its plural. There are so many different kinds of healings, and different ways that God heals. Also, God is able to heal people both outside meetings (as most of the examples above show, and almost all of the examples in the gospels attest to) and in meetings, when the church is gathered: God gives you his Spirit and works miracles among you (Galatians 3:5). Miraculous powers. o Definition: The supernatural ability to see the laws of nature suspended as God does a miracle. o Biblical examples: 1) Jesus turned water into wine (John 2). 2) The disciples caught the miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5). 3) The disciples caught a fish with a coin in its mouth (Matt 17:27). 4) The feeding of the five thousand (Luke 9:12). 5) Jesus took authority over the weather (Mark 4:41). 6) Paul did extraordinary miracles (Acts 19:11). 7) Paul raised a dead man to life after he fell out of the window (Acts 20). o Comment: Gifts of healings have to do with miracles related to the human body. But all other miracles would fall into this category. There are miracles that are beyond the possibility of co-incidence, such as those listed above. But there are also miracles that some sceptics could claim to be a co-incidence, such as a sudden end to a draught or a serious storm, or a sudden surge in income, or a bumper harvest, all in answer to prayer. But nevertheless, Gods powerful hand was at work in these circumstantial changes.

16) FUNCTIONING IN THE BODY (12:12-28) 12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one bodywhether Jews or Greeks, slave or free and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. The church is the body of Christ, united as one, and yet each of us is different from each other. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body (v12). The church is likened to a body. We together are one body. Each individual Christian is part of that

body, and has a specific part to play in the body. So it is with Christ (v12b). Paul uses this phrase to mean, So it is with the body of Christ. We as the church are not just another body of people. Rather, we are the body of Christ. Christ is the living head of this body. He holds us together, and co-ordinates the part every member is to play. We are one body whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free. Our common conversion and our common experience of the Spirit is what keep us together in this body. This unity is even greater than the factors that so often divide us, such as cultural, racial, language and class barriers. Though we are very different in terms of background, yet we are one.

Every believer has been placed by the Spirit into the body of Christ at the time of salvation. Verse 13 says, we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body. This little phrase is amongst the most disputed phrases in modern Bible interpretation. Yet, it is not too difficult to figure out what Paul is saying The words baptized with (can also be translated in or by) the Spirit are used six other times in the gospels and in the book of Acts (see Mark 1:8, Matt 3:11, Luke 3:16, John 1:33, Acts 1:5 and Acts 11:16). In all four gospels, John the Baptist prophesies that Christ will baptize people with the Spirit, in a way that is analogous to being dunked in water. But if those were the only previous usages of the words, we would never know what exactly this baptism with the Spirit is. It is only in the book of Acts that we see what John the Baptist was referring to. It refers to the experiential outpouring of the Spirit on Christians. Jesus calls the Pentecost outpouring on the church a baptism in the Spirit (Acts 2:1-4, which is a fulfilment of Acts 1:5); and how Peter calls the experiential outpouring of the Spirit on Cornelius and his family a baptism in the Spirit (Acts 11:15-17). So, in all six of those references, the phrase baptized by/in/with the Spirit refers to an experiential outpouring of the Spirit. But who is doing the baptizing in those six references? It is Christ. Since the exalted Christ is the one doing this baptizing, we need to translate the phrase in question, baptized in or with the Spirit. We cannot translate it by the Spirit because according to John the Baptist, it is Christ, not the Spirit, who is doing the baptizing. But the question is, is Paul here in 1 Corinthians 12:13 using the words baptized by/in/with the Spirit in the same way as the other six usages in the Bible? Im going to answer no. Let me explain. A common mistake interpreters make is to ascribe a technical definition to a term and think that the Scriptures always have the same meaning whenever they use that term. The better interpretation method is to look at the specific context. In this case, we look at 1 Corinthians 12 and notice that from verses 3 to 11, Paul has eight times emphasised the agency of the Spirit. So we need to translate the phrase in question, baptized by the Spirit not baptized in the Spirit, since it is the Holy Spirit, not Christ, who is the acting agent. This means that Pauls usage of the phrase is different to the other six usages in the New Testament. Just because the same Greek words are used in all seven biblical occurrences, does not mean that they are used

with the same meaning; the first six usages (in the gospels and Acts) are used to mean the experiential outpouring of the Spirit on believing Christians, but the seventh usage, Pauls only usage of this phrase, here in 1 Corinthians 12:13, means something else. In the first six uses the meaning is, Christ baptises us in the Spirit, but in the last use the meaning is, The Spirit baptises us in the body. So what does Paul mean by we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body? The biggest clue is to realize that the word baptized is used differently throughout the New Testament. Sometimes it refers to baptism, or being dunked, in water. Sometimes it means the experiential baptism in the Spirit. But sometimes it just means placed or put into Christ. In other words it is here most likely a reference to conversion. And that is the point Paul is making here. What Paul is saying is that at the time of our salvation, we were, amongst other things, placed or put into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, though we may not have been aware of it. Wonderfully, every believer has been placed by the Spirit into this body at the time of conversion. The moment were saved, were legitimate members of the world-wide church. We belong. It is a done deal. Of course, we then will hopefully actually make the effort to involve ourselves in a local church, but we dont do so in order to belong, but rather because we already do. Why have I spent so much time distinguishing Pauls usage of baptism in/with/by the Spirit from the other six uses in the New Testament? Because, if he was referring to exactly the same thing, then wed have to say that all Christians have already been baptized with the Spirit, whereas the book of Acts clearly teaches that not necessarily all Christians have experienced the outpouring of the Spirit (though all Christians certainly have been regenerated by the Spirit).

Every believer has the privilege of experiencing the outpouring of the Spirit. And we were all given the one Spirit to drink (v13b). The first part of verse 13 speaks of how the Spirit placed us into the body, though we were unaware of it, at the time of salvation. However, this second part speaks of how we received the Spirit (past tense) whom we now drink of (present tense). In other words, it refers to the experience of the Spirits infilling. We think of Ephesians 5:18 where we are told that rather than drinking wine excessively, we should drink of the Spirit. And we think of John 7:4749 where Jesus invites us to come and drink, and then John, the author, explains that this drinking is made an experiential reality by the Holy Spirit. Salvation is both an event as well as an experience. At the time of our salvation, most of us were not aware of the event where the Spirit placed us into Christ, and therefore into Christs body. But we were probably aware of the experience of the new birth by the Holy Spirit. And subsequent to our salvation, we certainly are aware of the baptism or infilling of the Spirit, where we tend to have a heightened sense of Gods presence and power in our lives.

Again Pauls emphasis is on the fact that all Christians have the ability to drink from the Spirit. This does not mean that all Christians necessarily do draw close, but that we are united by this common access we have to the fountainhead of the Spirit. Since this wonderful fountain is within our reach, let us drink of the Spirits presence and power.

14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body. Comparing ourselves to others who we perceive as more gifted or important than ourselves is plain silly. Comparing ourselves to others is silly because it leads to insecurity, which causes us to back off from involvement. Imagine the foot trying to opt out of functioning in the body simply because it feels inferior to the hand (v15). And imagine the ear saying, Thats it Im no longer contributing because Im not an eye (v16). As ridiculous as this sounds, yet it often happens in a church: one person compares themselves with other people who are gifted in different and maybe more prominent ways and then, through feelings of inferiority, they back off from involvement in the church, telling themselves that they dont belong. But what a silly thing to do! Comparing ourselves to others is silly because we overlook the unique contribution God intends us to make. Paul is showing that we need diverse contributions and functioning within spiritual community. Who we are, as well as what we bring to a community, as well as the way the Spirit might want to use us is unique. Imagine what a monstrosity a body would be if it were just a giant eye or a giant ear (v17). And yet that is the monstrosity were wishing for whenever, we fail to recognize, rejoice in and contribute our own uniqueness all because we wish we were someone else. Paul asks, If they were all one part, where would the body be? (v19). God has made us all differently, and has given us different gifts that we can contribute within the life of the church. And he has done this in the church for the same reason he has made both the eye and the ear, and both the foot and the hand: each part has a special function to play, and without each persons unique contribution the church were part of will be lacking in something. Comparing ourselves to others is silly because it insults Gods sovereignty. But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be (v18). We need to affirm Gods sovereign ability to add very specific people to our community. We

sabotage our local church when we give in to envy or inferiority, since this ultimately questions the gracious sovereignty of God in placing us there. God, in his infinite wisdom, has the ability to arrange diversely gifted people in a local church so that, if everyone happily plays their part without comparing themselves to others, the church will function optimally. Think of Gods intelligence in arranging the diverse parts of human body. Well, he applies the same intelligence in bringing a local church together. In conclusion, comparing ourselves to others is a sin that sabotages both ourselves, and our church. In 2 Corinthians 10:12, Paul writes Those who compare themselves with themselves are not wise, and in Galatians 6:4, he writes, Take pride in yourself without comparing yourself with somebody else.

21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honour to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. We should have equal concern for everyone in the church, regardless of how gifted or prominent they are or arent. Pauls main point in this section is verse 25: so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. We need to value every person as much as God values them, regardless of how big a role or how little a role they appear to play. The way to avoid division is not to make sure that everyone has equal profile, or similar contributions but rather that there is equal concern. The question we should ask is, Do we care about all the people in our church the same? In these verses, we see that there are four ways to make sure we treat everyone with equal concern: The first way to treat everyone with equal concern is to affirm that the person themselves, not just their gifting, is a gift from God. 1 Corinthian 12 started with the various gifts God may give us. This refers to the contributions we might make with Gods help. But notice the shift in language now. Paul, since verse 15, has spoken of the person themselves as the gift. Who we are is the gift. In the same way a family is greatly enriched by a diversity of types of people with different personality types, interests and experiences so the church is full of different people, each one a unique gift from God. It is not just what we do that is a gift to the church, but even more foundationally it is who we are. The second way to treat everyone with equal concern is to repent of attitudes of superiority or self-sufficiency. Apparently, in Corinth, there

were some people of superior social rank who thought they could get along in their faith without some others in the community who they deemed inferior or unnecessary. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" (v21). What a tragedy when a person with a prominent gifting or social standing looks on those who have less impressive gifting or status, and then thinks to themselves, This church would be fine even if you werent here. This is pride and it is stupid. Imagine a head looking at feet and thinking, I am so much more prominent and important than you. I dont need you. After all, that head would never be able to go anywhere unless the feet were to take it around. The third way to treat everyone with equal concern is to honour those who often go unnoticed. The person with the public gift (for example the person who leads or teaches) or the person of high social standing (for example, the wealthy or popular person) will tend to be greatly noticed whereas people with a less prominent gift or and social standing will tend to go unnoticed. On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are un-presentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment (v22-24). What does Paul mean by the un-presentable parts? It seems he refers to the parts of our body that we hide under our clothing. His point is that we give greater honour to these apparently low-honour places by clothing them. The prominent person seldom needs special public commendation because they tend to be commended all the time. But the person who is unnoticed will need, from time to time, some special attention and public commendation. This is not to pamper to their insecurities, but rather to affirm to them and to everyone just how important everyone and every contribution is. The fourth way to treat everyone with equal concern is to empathize with everyones pains and joys. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it (v26). When we realize that we all are one body, and we value every person in our community equally, two things will happen: 1) we will empathize with their pains and sorrows, as though those pains and sorrows are our own, 2) and we will celebrate their successes and joys, as though those successes and joys are our own. There is a saying: in community, our sorrows are halved and our joys are doubled. This is because some trusted people will comfort us in our sorrows, and thus halve this sorrow, and will rejoice with us in our joy, and thus double this joy.

27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. We all have a unique contribution to make in the life of a church and we

should diligently make it. Some functions in the church are more important than others, but this does not mean that the others are not needed. Much like in a soccer game, all are needed but there are some roles that are especially critical, such as the captain, the goalie and the penalty kicker. Though Paul, in his list, does not list all the gifts there are he lists a small sample to illustrate that we all have different contributions to make: God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers (v28). Apostles, prophets and teachers are examples of especially critical leadership gifts. Apostles, for example, pioneer the advance of the gospel, the formation of new churches, the oversight of these churches, and the appointment of elders who are sufficiently trained to lead these churches. Prophets are preachers who bring Gods Word with a powerful sense of immediacy and breakthrough. They generally do not seek to lay a solid doctrinal foundation, but rather speak into a very current situation with a very specific word from heaven. They also excel in prophetically clarifying the present priorities of God for a particular person or church. Teachers are preachers who seek to help everyone come to a solid understanding of the gospel message, and how to apply it to all of life. Notice that Paul uses the words, first, second and third. He is saying that strategically the apostle is more critical than the prophet who is more critical than the teacher. Paul then lists some more examples of contributions: then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues (v28). Notice that he no longer grades them like he graded apostle, prophet and teacher. Now he merely lists examples but does not compare them to others in order of importance. He lists those who tend to be used by God to do miracles, to heal people, to help others, to administrate things, and those who bring public tongues. Notice how he lists both those who are used in miraculous ways (i.e. healings, miracles and tongues) alongside those who are used in less spectacular ways (i.e. helps, administrating things). All are important and needed dare, I say, especially those with gifts of helps and administration. Imagine a church that consisted only of prophets, teachers, miracle-workers, healers, tongues-bringers and interpreters but there were no practical, on-theground people who sought to get menial tasks done (the gift of helps), or to organize that all the bases are covered in many practical regards (the gift of administration). That church would be sorely lacking. The point Paul is making is that all have a unique contribution to make in the life of a church and should diligently make it. Let me give two analogies that show how important it is that everyone makes a contribution. First, the soccer game. The non-functional church with a soccer game where a small team of a few people, who desperately need a rest, are passively watched by an overwhelming majority of spectators, who desperately need to exercise. Second, cancer. Sometimes there is a part of our body that only lives to serve itself. It doesnt contribute anything to the rest of the body, and everything it gets it uses to feed and grow itself. We call this cancer. Spurgeon once said to his church, I want

every member of this church to be a worker. If there are any of you who want to eat and drink, and do nothing, there are plenty of churches elsewhere, where you can do it; there are empty pews about in abundance; go and fill them, for we do not want you. Besides, they who are the most happy are generally those who are doing most for Christ. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way. Though we cant demand that God use us in a certain way, we can nonetheless seek it especially if the use of that gift can positively impact many people. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? (v29-30). The answer to Pauls question is obviously no. God uses us differently when it comes to ministry. On this point, we might ask a question: Does this verse teach that God does not potentially want to give everyone the gift of tongues? The answer is, yes and no. We must remember that there are two kinds of tongues: personal tongues (which God seemed to hand out very liberally to his church in the book of Acts) and public tongues exercised during a worship gathering. Paul is clearly speaking about public tongues in this context notice the phrase: in the church (v28). Surely God will not use all believers to bring a public tongue. But that does not necessarily mean that he is not willing to give the gift of personal tongues to the one who asks. I am not saying that this verse teaches that God wants to give the gift of personal tongues to all, just that this verse does not necessarily teach that he does not want to. Interestingly, straight after affirming that God uses us all differently (v2930) and therefore we cannot demand that God uses us in whatever way we want, Paul encourages us to prayerfully seek from God the greater gifts (v31). We are to eagerly desire them. But what are the greater gifts? They are those that have the greatest power to advance the kingdom in peoples lives. They would include the gifts that Paul has already drawn priority attention to in verse 28: apostleship, prophecy and teaching. All ministry is meant to be love made visible. What does Paul mean by the phrase, And now I will show you the most excellent way? The correct translating is, And now I will show you an excellent way. Paul has just told us to desire greater gifts now he is about to show us an excellent way of doing so. The answer, of course, comes in chapter 13 where we learn we are to grow in our ability to love others. From this we learn that all ministry whether it is high-profile teaching or low-profile helps, ministering healing or bringing a prophetic message all of it is an opportunity to bless, serve, reach, edify and encourage people.

Love seeks the wellbeing of other people. Love seeks their salvation and their spiritual strengthening. It is as we grow in our ability to love, that we will begin to see spiritual gifts as an opportunity to express that love in a variety of ways! It is as we yearn to see more people more deeply impacted by Gods love and by the gospel that we will call on God for those spiritual gifts that can minister it more effectively. 17) LOVE IS THE GREATEST (13:1-13)

1 Corinthians 13
Love 1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Paul speaks of agape love in this passage. Paul uses the Greek word agape. The ancient Greeks had four different words we translate love. Its important to understand the difference between the words, and why the apostle Paul chose the Greek word agape here. Eros was one word for love. It described, as we might guess from the word itself, erotic love. It refers to sexual love. Storge was the second word for love. It refers to family love, the kind of love there is between a parent and child, or between family members in general. Philia is the third word for love. It speaks of a brotherly friendship and affection. It is the love of deep friendship and partnership. It might be described as the highest love of which we, without Gods help, are capable of. Agape is the fourth word for love. It is a self-giving love that gives without demanding or expecting re-payment. It is love so great that it can be given to the unlovable or unappealing. It is love that loves even when it is rejected. Agape love gives and loves because it wants to. It gives because it loves, it does not love in order to receive. Interestingly, we get our English word agony from agape. Love like this costs us something. It takes everything out of us. When we think of the word agony we see that the word agape carries the sense of our lives being absorbed into something. The work of the Spirit in our lives is evidenced, more than by anything else, by our ability to love others. The Corinthian church had a totally skewed understanding of what spirituality was all about. For them the number one sign of the Spirit, and of vibrant spirituality, was their ability to move in the gifts of the Spirit. Paul responds by reminding them that the true sign of the Spirit, and of real spirituality, is not primarily how powerfully we move in the gifts of the Spirit, but rather by how lovingly we treat one another. Paul mentions five spiritual gifts, and two striking acts of sacrifice that

as good as they are have no spiritual merit in Gods sight, unless they are done in love, and are done by a person who loves: 1) He speaks of the tongues of men and angels. Given the context of chapter 12 and 14, which are about tongues, the tongues of men likely refers to an ability to speak other languages with the help of the Spirit (like happened in Acts 2:4-11). 2) The tongues of angels likely refers to the common kind of tongue when, through the enabling of the Spirit, we speak a mysterious language to God. It is a language understood by God. Metaphorically speaking, it is a dialect of heaven, and of angels. 3) The gift of prophecy is the ability to bring a message from God to people. 4) Fathoming all mysteries and knowledge refers to the spiritual gifts of wisdom and knowledge (see 12:8). 5) Faith that can move mountains poetically refers to the special gift of faith (see 12:9) that God gives us to get some mighty works done. 6) Giving all I possess to the poor refers to a great personal sacrifice of selling all our possessions and then giving it all to the poor. 7) Surrendering my body to the flames likely is a reference to a believers willingness to suffer for what he believes in. Notice that each thing described in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 is a good thing. Both kinds of tongues are good. Prophecy and knowledge and faith are good. Sacrifice is good. But Paul insists that, as good as these things are, they are not the most important features of a God-pleasing spirituality: rather whether we love people is. We see in these verses that it is possible to move in the gifts of the Spirit, and to give ourselves to some dramatic moments of sacrifice, yet somehow we are not motivated by love as we do them. Instead we may be motivated by a desire to impress others, or to impress ourselves. If that is the case, we might even help people (think of the poor who receive all our possessions), but in the sight of God we are merely a hollow sounding instrument (v1). We are nothing (v2). We gain nothing (v3). Love is so valuable, so important, that apart from it, every other good thing is useless. Again, think of the Corinthians here. In their warped understanding of spirituality they primarily pursued knowledge, but think how their knowledge led to pride and to the destruction of each other (8:1-2,11). Think of how they hungrily pursued wisdom, which then led to quarrels and rivalry (1:10, 3:4). We will see in the next chapter how they pursued tongues, but in such a way that no other believers were edified, and no unbelievers were drawn in to Christ (14:1-25). Paul is not urging them to give up on knowledge, or wisdom, or tongues, but to rather rethink what true spirituality is. True spirituality is the result of the Spirits transforming work in our lives, and it is evidenced primarily by the way we relate to and treat each other with genuine love.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

As the Spirit transforms us into more loving people, we evidence it by the presence of seven Christ-like qualities. The beginning of verse 4 and then verses 6-7 lists seven descriptions of loving character: 1) Love is patient. Were able to endure waiting or delay without becoming annoyed or upset. We persevere calmly when faced with difficulties. Were able to tolerate being hurt, provoked without complaint or loss of temper. The old English word is longsuffering because love enables us to suffer long in a relationship with someone who hurts or annoys us. (As a pastoral comment, this mention of longsuffering must not be used to justify staying in an abusive relationship simply because one is to scared to leave a person, which is motivated by fear not love anyway). 2) Love is kind. If patience is passive i.e. the withholding of negative response kindness is active. It means we have a generous, warm, compassionate nature. Were gentle and not harsh. We show courtesy and care to people. We take the trouble of thinking about ways we can bless other people. Were hospitable and tender in how relate to people. We treat everyone, even the undeserving, in warm, caring ways. 3) Love rejoices in the truth. We do not delight in evil. The double-clause phrase does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth describes two sides of the same reality. We dont ever take delight in, or gossip about any kind of evil, whether it be war, the ill-treatment of animals or the poor, the fall or failure of another, or some sin or crime at work, or in our family, or in our government. Instead we rejoice in all that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Phil 4:8). Above all, we delight in the gospel, the message of truth that has the power to save us and others. 4) Love always protects. We do all we can to prevent people from being harmed in any way. We warn people about what threatens their wellbeing physically and personally. We discern and lovingly challenge people to abandon those beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that will ultimately do them harm, or cause them to miss out on Gods best for their lives. 5) Love always trusts. Were not cynical. We trust in God to work in a person. If a person has failed us, and wounded our trust in them, and if they are sincerely repentant (and evidence it by a changed way of relating to us) we give them another chance. This trust is not directed toward people, as much as it is toward God. Our trust in God enables us to keep on keeping on in our relationships with people. Our vision of God buoys us in the difficult situation were in. 6) Love always hopes. Were filled with the joy and peace that comes from trusting in the God of hope. We know that God always has the ability to turn a situation around, or to work in a persons life. Were not prone to negativism. We see the potential that God has put in a person, and what a person, by Gods grace, could become. And, by Gods grace, we believe in people, even when others dont. Our certainty about Gods future promises buoys us to be tenacious in present trials. 7) Love always perseveres. Though a person disappoints us many times over, we remain committed to them, without backing off from them. We

dont give up on people. After all, Christ never gave up on us. As the Spirit transforms us into more loving people, we evidence it by the absence of seven un-Christ-like qualities: The second part of verse 4, and the whole of verse 5 lists seven unloving qualities. 1) Love does not envy. We dont experience, or at least dont give in to, resentful and jealous feelings of wanting another persons success, good fortune, qualities, or possessions for ourselves. Rather we delight in the wellbeing of other people. Think how destructive envy can be. It was envy that caused Cain to kill Abel (Genesis 4:3-8). Envy caused Josephs brothers to sell him into slavery (Genesis 37:11, 28). Envy caused the religious leaders to execute Jesus (Matthew 27:18). 2) Love does not boast. We dont praise ourselves, and speak arrogantly about things we possess, or know, or have achieved. Since were not overly concerned about what people think about us, we dont call undue attention to ourselves. And we refuse to look down on anyone, even if possess, know or achieve less than we do. Let me share a real example of a person, secure in God, who did not boast: William Carey, who is thought by many to be the founder of the modern missionary movement. Though God used him greatly, yet he came from a humble place; he was a shoe repairman when God called him to reach the world. Once, when nowsuccessful Carey was at a dinner party, a snobbish lord tried to insult him by saying very loudly, Mr. Carey, I hear you once were a shoemaker! Carey replied even louder, No, your lordship, not a shoemaker, only a shoe repairer! 3) Love is not proud. We dont have an exaggerated view of ourselves. We are puffed up. We see ourselves like God sees us. We are in touch with reality. We refuse to claim credit where credit is not due, and are ready to give it to whomever it is due. Were not overly concerned with what people think of us. And we refuse any thoughts of superiority to take root in our lives. 4) Love is not rude. We dont act shamefully or disgracefully. We dont relate to people in a way that is inconsiderate, insensitive or contemptuous. This does not mean that we will always agree with people, or that we will never confront anyone. But it does mean that we guard their dignity as we talk with them. We relate to them in a dignifying, respectful and non-attacking manner. 5) Love is not self-seeking. Were not caught up in ourselves in our needs, our wants, our dreams and our desires. Rather, we live for the greater good of others. Being preoccupied with the wellbeing of others makes us self-forgetful. Were also not interested in gaining an advantage over others. Like Christ, we do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but, rather, in humility we value others above ourselves, not looking to our own interests but to the interests of the others (Philippians 2:3-4). 6) Love is not easily angered. We dont become deeply annoyed or irritated easily. And when feelings of annoyance or irritation do rise up inside of us, we waive them off. We control ourselves. Better a patient

man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city (Proverbs 16:32). 7) Love keeps no record of wrongs. We dont hold grudges, nor nurse feelings of resentment. We get rid of all bitterness forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave us (Ephesians 4:31-32). We remember how in Christ God no longer counted our sins against us (2 Corinthians 5:19). We are ready to do the same for others. We no longer count a persons previous wrong toward us against them. Interestingly, there was a tribe in Polynesia, where it was customary for each man to keep some reminders of his hatred for others. These reminders were suspended from the roofs of their huts to keep alive the memory of the wrongs, real or imagined. Though we may not suspend a literal reminder in our houses, yet we tend to suspend internal reminders in our hearts. We must overcome resentment in our hearts by the grace of God.

God is loving, but we are not. If we consider that God is love (1 John 4:18), then we also have in these words of Paul a description of how God relates to those of us he has adopted as his children: God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, he does not boast, he is not proud. He is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails. What a wonderful God we have! But even a description of God like this may seem a little abstract and removed from our lives. This is why God did something amazing: he revealed himself to us concretely in the life of Jesus. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being (Hebrews 1:3). As we observe Christs life and death as recorded in the four Gospels, we notice that indeed Christ is patient, Christ is kind. He does not envy, he does not boast, he is not proud. He is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. Christ does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Christ always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Christ never fails. God is love, but we, in contrast, have all sinned and have fallen short of Gods glorious nature. When we put our own name where the word love is, our conscience is pricked by just how unloving and sinful we are: ___ is patient, ___ is kind. ___ does not envy, ___ does not boast, ___ is not proud. ___ is not rude, ___ is not self-seeking, ___ is not easily angered, ___ keeps no record of wrongs. ___ does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ___ always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ___ never fails. Indeed we are sinners, guilty of sin and powerless to change! We have all failed. But God in his love sent his Son to die on a cross so our sinful failure to love can be forgiven. And then he sent his Spirit into the hearts of those who trust in the Son to give us the power to be more loving: We all, who with unveiled faces gaze upon the Lord's glorious character, are being transformed into his image with everincreasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2

Corinthians 3:18). Every Christian can expect to grow progressively more loving as we continue to gaze upon Gods loving character and yield to the Spirit of love. Though change may come slowly we can be encouraged by the motto-prayer: Though Im not where I want to be, thank God that by his grace, Im not what I was, and Im not what I will be. 8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. Love will remain forever, but the gifts wont. Love never fails is both a conclusion of the previous section, as well as an introduction to this new section. To understand these verses, we must understand the coming of the kingdom of God: the kingdom of God was inaugurated by the coming of Jesus, especially by his death and resurrection, and by the outpouring of the Spirit. But the kingdom of God is only here in part. The kingdom of God will only come in all its fullness when Christ returns. The kingdom has already budded, but it will only reach full bloom then. The kingdom has dawned, but it will only shine like the brightness of the noonday sun then. Paul is comparing love with the spiritual gifts (of prophecy, teaching and knowledge). One major difference between the two is that love will endure beyond the coming of Christ, whereas the gifts of the Spirit wont. The gifts will cease, be stilled and pass away, but love never fails. Love is here to stay forever! One way of thinking of this is to think of the kingdom being a building that is built. The very substance the building is made of is love. But the gifts are like the scaffolding that is needed to build this building. On completion date, when Christ returns, the scaffolding will be removed, but the kingdom of love will still stand. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. Though the kingdom is already here, it is only here in part. The gifts of the Spirit help us to experience and advance the kingdom progressively and in part. But there is a day when perfection (or perhaps a better translation in this case completion) will come. This would have come as a surprise to the Corinthians, who seemed to think that the gifts were eternal. Yet, the gifts will disappear in much the same way that the streetlights of the night disappear at dawn, when a far greater light appears. However, we must not undermine the importance of the gifts. Sadly, some Bible scholars have misinterpreted these verses to support the heresy of cessationism, the belief that the spiritual gifts were only necessary in the first century to get the church going, but when the church finally had the completed New Testament, the gifts were no longer needed. The phrase when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears have been misread to mean when the Bible becomes available to the church, then the gifts of the Spirit disappears. This is clearly heresy!

The gifts of the Spirit, though not being eternally needed, are indeed needed up until the time the kingdom comes fully. They are as important to the mission of the church as scaffolding is important to the construction of a building. They are as important to the church on its mission, as streetlights are to a city-dweller who travels by night.

11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. The gifts are limited to this present age, since something far greater will replace them when we reach final glory. In verses 8-10, Paul has made the point that the gifts, though being exceedingly important for the church now, will not last forever. Now he provides two analogies of this very point. The first analogy highlights the fact that the gifts are only appropriate for our earthly existence, but not for final glory: When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Redeemed humanity experiences two main stages: life on the earth, and life in eternity. Paul here likens life on the earth to childhood, and life in eternity to adulthood. Childhood is a temporary phase, whereas adulthood is the destination. In the same way that toys are appropriate in childhood, but not in adulthood, so the gifts of the Spirit, though being totally appropriate for life on earth, will not be necessary in eternity. But in the same way love is necessary in both childhood and adulthood, so love is appropriate both now and forever. The second analogy highlights the partial revelation of God that the gifts make possible, compared to the full revelation of God in eternity: Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. The city of Corinth was famous for making some of the best mirrors in the world. So Paul, by comparing the gifts to a mirror, was in no way insulting the effectiveness of the gifts. The gifts indeed have the potential to provide us with an understanding of who God is. They enable us to know God. But, as wonderful and full as this knowledge is, it is still incomplete. Not incomplete in the sense that we have wrong doctrine about God, but rather incomplete in that, though we have so much information about God in the Bible, yet many of ours questions remain unanswered. Not only that, but we only have a limited insight into and experience of God personally and as a church. It is as though we see Gods face, but only in a mirror reflection. The gifts of the Spirit enable the church, and the world, to see something of who God is. But in heaven we will see God face to face. Then the mirror image (that the gifts provide) will no longer be needed! We will have unrestricted face-to-face intimacy with God. Though we can now see him with the eyes of our heart and by the help of the Spirit, then we will see him in the fullest possible way. Spurgeon, reflecting on seeing God face to face in heaven wrote this: The

streets of gold will have small attraction to us, the harps of angels will but slightly enchant us, compared with the King in the midst of the throne. He it is who shall rivet our gaze, absorb our thoughts, enchain our affection, and move all our sacred passions to their highest pitch of celestial ardour. We shall see God. And when we see him we will fully understand what is meant by the description, the God of love. We will fully know and grasp how long and wide and deep and high is the love of Christ. Interestingly, God knows us now as well as we will know him then. Though we dont have the capacity to know him fully now, he does have the capacity to know us fully now. This capacity for full knowledge will be granted to us in eternity. That is what is meant by then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Faith, hope and love are greater than the gifts, but love is the greatest of the three. Paul has been speaking about the supremacy of love over the spiritual gifts, since gifts will pass away in eternity, but love wont. But he wants us to make sure that we dont then delay the importance of love. Already now love is the greatest. We shouldnt wait for heaven to pursue a life of love. Already now it should be our goal. But Paul does something interesting: though closing off his argument, he introduces a new thought: it is not only love that is greater than the gifts right now, it is also faith and hope. Faith rests in the goodness of God to us right now. Hope rests in the goodness of God to us in the future. By faith we affirm that through Christ our sins are forgiven, and we are adopted as Gods children. By hope we affirm that God will protect us, provide for us, guide us and ultimately take us home to be with him forever. At the heart of the Christian life is faith and hope and love. It is the core of who we are, and what were about. As great as spiritual gifts are, faith and hope and love are even more central, and therefore even greater. But love is the greatest of the three. Why is this? The answer may surprise many: faith and hope will no longer be needed in final glory. Faith will be replaced by sight. And hope will be replaced by fulfilment. And yet love will remain! That is why love is the greatest. 18) THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT: TONGUES AND PROPHECY (14:1-5) Intro: the situation in the Corinthian church. The Corinthians had experienced the Holy Spirit outpouring tangibly and powerfully. They had also received the gift of tongues. And whenever they got together they would all pray in tongues aloud with great zeal. In their own minds, this showed that they were very spiritual. I can identify with them somewhat: when I first became a Christian, I thought the great main

mark of my spirituality was the levels of excitement I could reach during times of worship. Paul has already said four main things in the 2 chapters before: 1) The gifts are not about us looking good but are rather about Jesus getting glory (12:3). 2) The gifts are not about us feeling good, but rather about others being built up (12:7). 3) Tongues is just one of the gifts; God wants diversity (v8-10). 4) And, most importantly, in chapter 13, Paul highlighted that it is not the gifts of the Spirit but rather being a truly loving person that makes one a spiritual person. After all, the gifts will pass away at the end of this age, but love will blossom for all eternity.

1 Corinthians 14
Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues 1Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 2For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. 3But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified. We should pursue both love and the gifts. In chapter 12 we were encouraged to pursue the gifts. In chapter 13 Paul encouraged us to pursue love even more than we pursue the gifts. Now in verse 1, Paul tells us to do both at the same time: Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts. We need to do all we can to love people, and to grow our capacity for loving people. This will govern the way we use the gifts of the Spirit. And, it will also increase the intensity with which we pursue the gifts. The gifts of the Spirit are, after all, powerful tools for building others up. When we love people we want for them more than what we in our own capacity can give them. We will want for them what God alone can do through his outpoured gifts. Said another way, the exercising of the gifts is one major way that we can love people. Pauls main point in chapter 14 is that, though tongues may be helpful to the person speaking it (even though they do not understand what the Spirit is enabling them to say), it is nevertheless entirely unhelpful to others, since they cannot understand it. The way of love dictates that when the church gathers, one should refrain from tongues (unless it is interpreted) since it does not help others. However, prophecy should be done when gathered because (if it is done correctly) it is helpful to others. Let me now give an overview teaching on tongues and prophecy (I will make much reference to verses that are still to come in the rest of chapter 14 God wants to give many Christians the gift of tongues.

What is tongues? 1) It is a Spirit-inspired utterance (1 Cor 14:2 and Acts 2:4), in which case the Spirit enables a persons own spirit to speak mysteries (v2). It is not exactly the Spirit speaking through us, but rather the Spirit enabling our spirits to speak (see Acts 2:4). 2) Since it is our spirit that is speaking, our mind (the usual source of spoken words) is bypassed (1 Cor 14:14). 3) It is speech that is unintelligible to both the speaker (v14) and to the hearers (v16). 4) However, just because it is unintelligible does not mean that words uttered are without content or meaning. This is evidenced by a) the fact that there may be rare times when God gives a person an interpretation of their own tongue (v13), b) the fact that, in public, there is the possibility that God grants another person an interpretation of someones tongue (12:10), and c) the fact that there are some very rare cases where a person is enabled to speak a foreign language (Acts 2:4-12), which is understood without any need for interpretation. 5) It is speech directed towards God (1 Cor 14:2, 14-15, 28). In other words it is a form of praise (see Acts 2:4-11, especially verse 11) or a form of prayer (1 Cor 14:14). 6) Though a person may speak in tongues while being in an ecstatic state (as Acts 10:46 suggests), yet usually a person can speak in tongues in a non-ecstatic state (see 1 Cor 14:27-28, which gives regulations for public tongues, thereby implying that a person can start to and stop speaking in tongues at will.) Is tongues an actual language in existence in heaven, or on earth? People are divided on this point. Those who believe it is an actual language argue a) the word translated tongues can also be translated language, b) the possibility of interpretation implies that it is a language, c) the mention of tongues of angels (13:2) implies it is a heavenly dialect, and d) the rare instances were God enabled a person to speak in a earthly foreign language (Acts 2:11) imply that it is always some kind of language. Those who are not convinced it is an actual language argue that 1) the word tongues can also be translated speech, 2) interpretation is not the same as translation, which is what would be needed if it were an actual language, 3) the mention of tongues of angels could be taken to metaphorically mean heavenly speech (i.e. speech that God alone understands), 4) the rare instances of speaking in foreign languages dont necessarily imply that it is always some language in existence, and 5) observing those who do speak in tongues reveals that they tend to stay within the syllabic range of their own language (in other words, a Xhosa speaking person will have a very different sounding tongue to an English speaking person). My personal view is that usually tongues is not a language in existence, but rather a form of what Paul describes in Romans 8:26,27: We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God. I believe that God does enable us to speak apparently meaningless sounds and syllables, but that he attaches meaning to them. Is the gift of tongues different to the other gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10? Yes, all the other gifts are always for the strengthening of the church. They are other-directed. But tongues is only

sometimes other-directed, and this is when it is given in a church context and is followed by an interpretation. In this case it is similar to prophecy. But tongues is usually only for personal benefit. It is to be used in private, when one is alone. Of what use is the gift of personal tongues? Tongues is a form of nonrational prayer or praise, and though it is non-rational, yet it is a useful way of drawing closer to God. It is for this reason that Paul claimed in his own personal devotional life to pray much in tongues (1 Cor 14:18). Though it is not helpful to sing or pray aloud an un-interpreted tongue in a meeting, yet it is possible to pray in tongues under ones breath in a meeting (v28). Though we do not know what it is we are saying (or singing (v15)), yet we are still edified or built up (v4) in the experience. As we pray it is possible for our hearts to draw close to God with a wordless expression of prayer (v15), praise (v16) and thankfulness (v17). It seems to have the potential of being a non-verbal form of Jude 10: By building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God. In the same way that intimate human relationships require communication that is sometimes wordless (such as a smile, or a gesture of affection), so our communication with God also from time to time requires wordless communication, and the gift of tongues is one way of doing just that. What is the difference between an interpreted tongue and a prophecy? Although there will be exceptions, the main difference is that prophecy is a Spirit-inspired word from God whereas interpreted tongues is a Spiritinspired word to God. Why do I say this? Answer: were told that tongues is a form of prayer (v15), praise (v16) or thanksgiving (v17). For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God But everyone who prophesies speaks to men (v2-3). It only makes sense then, that if someone were to interpret a tongue it would most likely be directed toward God, or it would at the very least be about some aspect of God. How do we receive the gift of personal tongues? The Bible does not give a decisive answer. What it does say is that 1) the experience of the Spirits infilling sometimes activates the gift of tongues (see Acts 2:1-4, 10:46, 19:6), and 2) we can ask God to give us specific gifts (v1, see also Matt 7:7-9), and this would certainly include tongues.

God wants to give many Christians the gift of prophecy. What is prophecy? Answer: prophecy is the Spirit-inspired speaking for God with God-given words to a person or to a group of people. It includes both the receiving of some revelation, as well as the sharing of that revelation. What effect is prophecy meant to have on the church? It is meant to strengthen, encourage and comfort the church (v3). It is meant to edify the church (v4). Sometimes it will even establish the present priorities of a church (see Acts 11:27-28, 13:1-2 for examples of this). Does God want to give all Christians the ability to prophesy? Yes. The fact that Paul tells us to eagerly seek it (v1,39) reveals something of Gods willingness to give it to his children. Though very few people in the Old Testament had the ability to prophesy, yet in the age of the Spirit that Christs exaltation has inaugurated, prophecy has become readily

available to all. In Acts 2:17-18, Peter claims that the prophecy of Joel has come to fulfillment: In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. In any gathering of Christians it is anticipated that there would be several people who would be ready to bring a prophetic message of some kind (v29). Interestingly, were told that all four of Philips daughters were known for prophesying (Acts 21:9). The fact that Paul encourages people to pursue prophecy means that he believed there were not enough people with the gift, or at least exercising their prophetic gift. Moses rightly said, How I wish that all Gods people could prophesy. Is there a difference between Old Testament (OT) and New Testament (NT) prophecy? Although there are some similarities, there are some notable differences: 1) In the OT, prophetic gifting was rare, while in the NT it is far more commonplace. 2) In the OT, prophets often wrote Scripture, but this is not the case in the NT. 3) In the OT, prophets were infallible (the sign of a false prophet was that they got even one prophecy wrong) and therefore needed to be instantly obeyed or believed, while in the NT prophecies needed to be weighed before they are obeyed or believed. 4) In the OT, prophets, being the very mouthpieces of God, had the highest spiritual authority (even higher than kings), while in the NT, apostles (and the New Testament they wrote) as well as elders have higher spiritual authority. This is why, in the OT, prophets were accountable to no one but God, whereas in the NT, prophets are accountable to those who lead the church. 5) In the OT, prophets most commonly prophesied warning and judgment to people who had rejected God and his ways, while in the NT, prophets generally encouraged Gods people. Are there different degrees of prophetic gifting? Yes. Although all Christians are encouraged by Paul to pursue prophesy as a gift, not all will have the privilege of moving in it to the same degree. Though many Christians may prophesy from time to time, there are some Christians that seem sovereignly gifted by God to prophesy more regularly and with greater accuracy and power. The New Testament seems to refer to these people who are used exceptionally as prophets. Four sections in the NT show how instrumental they were in the life and mission of the church: First, theres Acts 11:27-28: During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. Here we see that 1) some people are known as prophets because of the track record of their regular and accurate prophesying, 2) prophets sometimes predict or foretell and, 3) prophets can minister in more than just their own church. Second, theres Acts 13:1-2: Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me

Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them". Here we see that 1) local churches need more than just teacher-gifted people at the helm, 2) prophets especially excel in discerning the present priorities of the Lord for a group of people, or for a person, especially with regard to the mission God has for them to accomplish. Third, theres Acts 21:1011: After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles' ". Here we see that 1) prophets sometimes prophesy over individuals, 2) prophets may sometimes be led by God to use symbolic actions. Lastly, theres Ephesians 4:11-12:So Christ himself gave some to be the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service. Here we see that 1) certain highly gifted prophets partner with other key leaders in the advance of the church, 2) prophets seek to equip Gods people to specific works of service; in their case it is most likely the ability to prophecy that they encourage in the church. What is the relationship between the Bible and prophecy? Both are the result of the Spirits revelation. The Bible is inspired by the Spirit so that its teachings, properly understood, are an infallible revelation from God. The Bible is all of Gods truth for all of Gods people at all times. But prophecy merely builds upon this revelation. It emphasises and highlights some of Gods truth to some of Gods people at some times. Any prophetic claim must never contradict what is taught in the Scriptures; if it does, it must be dismissed. However, prophecy can go beyond Scriptures without contradicting them. It does this when God wants to reveal specific information to a person or a church that is not doctrinal in nature. For example, when the prophets helped discern that God wanted Paul and Barnabas to begin their missionary journey (Acts 13:1-2), this was not doctrinal in nature it was the specific application of doctrine in a specific situation. What is the relationship between prophecy and preaching? The Scriptures distinguish between the gift of teaching, and the gift of prophecy, so they are not the same thing. The teacher is concerned with leading Gods people into all the truth of the Scriptures. The prophet is concerned with leading Gods people into those specific truths that the Spirit is right now emphasizing. And generally a teaching is longer than a prophecy. That said, there can be considerable overlap of teaching and prophesy: this is when the Word of God is taught and applied in the power of the Spirit, along with a Spirit-guided spontaneous edge to it. Since the Scriptures are the work of the Spirit, it seems that this kind of prophetic exposition of the Bible is the highest form of prophecy. How does God give revelations? In order to prophesy one must be able to receive direct revelations from God. Obviously, there are varying levels of intensity and clarity in these revelations. So, how do direct revelations come to a person? 1) Since prophecy is generally an emphasis or application of specific teachings in the Bible, very often a revelation comes as one reads or ponders parts of the Bible. But revelations will also

come when one is not reading or thinking about the Bible at all. 2) Revelations seem more likely to come as one is drawing close to God in prayer or worship (see Acts 13:1-2 as example of this). 3) The most common way revelations come is through simple God-given impressions; this is when a thought comes to a person that they recognize to be a thought that comes from the Spirit. Two examples of this are Nehemiah who wrote, So God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles (Nehemiah 7:5), and Paul who while preaching saw the lame man had faith to be healed (Acts 14:9). In the latter example, it seems that Pauls spiritual senses were quickened as he looked at the lame man, and he just knew that God was about to heal this man. 4) According to Acts 2:17-18, the ability to prophesy is often associated with God-given dreams and visions. This means that either while one sleeps, or while one is awake God may reveal a picture of some kind. Sometimes these pictures can be exceptionally vivid, but other times less so. 5) Then there are other more uncommon ways that a revelation may come: while one is having an ecstatic experience (see 1 Sam 19:19-24), is in a trance (Acts 10:10-19), encounters an angel, or hears an audible voice (sometimes it is only audible to the person). But how do we know a revelation truly comes from God? We must proceed with caution since not every so-called revelation really comes from God. Were told to test the authenticity and accuracy of prophecies and spiritual experiences (1 John 4:1, 1 Cor 14:29). There is such a thing as false prophecy. Even Christians can bring misguided prophetic words either out of their own imagination (Jer 14:14) or, more seriously, because of demonic deception (1 Tim 4:1). That is why the church is told to discern whether prophetic words really are from God (1 Cor 14:23). Just because a person has a vivid spiritual experience, and gets a revelation during that time, does not mean that the spiritual experience was necessarily God, or that the revelation was necessarily God no matter how real and wonderful the experience may have been. Some basic pastoral advice follows: Dont trust feelings too much, even feelings that are associated with love for God. Be willing to think, and be well taught by the Scriptures. Beware of prophecies that are predictive not that they are impossible, but just that they need special care. Beware of excessive claims of direct guidance, of anything that makes self predominant. And beware of the power of suggestion. Having said all of that, though the pitfalls of getting revelations from God are real, yet God still does give people direct revelations. And though we need to be aware of the devils ability to deceive us, we need to be in awe of Gods ability to lead us into the truth. And we can be encouraged by the fact that it is not so much our ability to receive a revelation as much as it is Gods ability to give a revelation that counts. Some guidelines for prophesying: 1) Dont be surprised that God speaks both to you and through you by drawing on your range of vocabulary, experiences, mental imagery, and level of doctrinal understanding. Generally speaking, the raw material the Holy Spirit uses in a revelation is whats already in you. 2) Dont be surprised that as you begin to share the revelation that God gives you more. Much like pulling a tissue out of a

tissue pop-up box, so as you share what God has shown you, more revelation appears, and as you share that revelation, yet more appears. 3) Dont assume that just because God has given you a revelation that you know what it means, or how to share it (if you must share it at all). A good prayer to pray is this, God, I believe you have given me this revelation. But what does it mean? And what do I do with it? Please show me. 4) Dont say, Thus says the Lord but rather, I think / feel God is saying that. Since NT prophecy is fallible, it is best to be humble in how we share it. 5) Dont despise the day of small beginnings (Zech 4:10). Those whom God uses prophetically generally speak of a growing accuracy in their own journey of being used by God. At first God may give you some very simple revelations, but as you are faithful in sharing them, God begins to trust you with clearer, more accurate, more consistent prophetic messages. 6) Be very wise with what you do with predictive, confrontational, corrective or directive words. Since prophecy is generally to strengthen and encourage Christians (1 Cor 14:3), whenever you go beyond what it encourages to what predicts, confronts, corrects or directs youre moving into unusual prophecy. These kinds of prophecy have a far greater capacity to impact people either for good, or for bad. The best thing to do is to submit these kinds of words to the pastoral leadership of your church. Let them decide whats best to do with them. How do we receive the gift of prophecy? The Bible does not give a decisive answer. What it does say is that 1) God sovereignly gives some gifts to us without us even asking for them (1 Cor 12:11), 2) the experience of the Spirits infilling sometimes activates the gift of tongues (see Acts 2:17-18, 19:6), and 3) we can eagerly ask God to give us the gift of prophecy (1 Cor 14:1,39 and Matt 7:7-9). Once God does grant us this gift, we need to exercise it by staying close to God, and by being ready to step out in obedience any moment God leads us. Were told to try excel in gifts that build up the church (1 Cor 14:12). So if God uses us prophetically, we should ask him to grow you in it more and more. What do I do with a personal prophetic word that another person gives me? 1) Ask four questions: Does it line up or contradict the teachings of the Bible? Does it line up with what God has already shown me in the past? Does it resonate or jar with my spirit? Does it leaving me feeling peaceful or disturbed? 2) Understand that generally a prophetic word will merely confirm something God has already been showing you. 3) If the word is predictive (i.e. it tells you something will happen in your life), corrective (i.e. it confronts something negative in your life), directive (i.e. it tells you to make a certain decision), then show it to the leaders who watch over you. 4) Write them down and record them for future encouragement and evaluation. For example, Paul encouraged Timothy to recall the prophetic words he had received. They were words that detailed Gods plan to use him as a leader: Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well (1 Tim 1:18).

19) ESSENTIALS IN CHURCH MEETINGS (14:6-40)

An introduction to the idea of church meetings. Church meetings are meant to be a foretaste of heaven upon the earth. When we gather as the church of Christ, the devil should tremor, and lives should be changed, and the world should feel the effects of our meeting. Obviously, a local church is so much more than a meeting. A local church is a 24/7 community of 24/7 disciples on a 24/7 mission. When they are apart, they are the church dispersed. When they come together, they are the church gathered. Real Christianity is what is happening between the meetings. However, the meetings function as moments of fresh inspiration and equipping for when the church disperses once again. I am reminded of a church that put the sign You are now entering the mission field above their exit door. What are we meant to call these gatherings? The New Testament provides a few phrases: 1) these gatherings can be called the church, which is what Paul does in verse 18 when he compares being on his own to being in the church, 2) these gatherings can be called the coming together, which is what Paul says in verse 26 when he says, But when you come together, 3) these gatherings can be called by a hybrid of points 1 and 2, which is what Paul does in 11:18 when he says, When you come together as a church, 4) these gatherings can be called meetings, which is what Paul does in 11:17 when he says, Your meetings do more harm than good; similarly Heb 10:25 says, Do not stop meeting together. Nowadays we often speak of going to church (which would more rightly be phrased, joining the rest of the church since the church is the people, not the building) or worship services (which should rather be phrased worship meetings since the word services implies that we go to receive some kind of service, which is not the case). But what is meant to happen in these meetings? Interestingly, the Bible is not totally clear, although a long list of things that should happen from time to time could be created. This passage, along with Acts 2:42-47, helps us to think through the purpose of these meetings. But how do we know if a meeting is effective? Are there any goals to achieve or parameters to stay within as we gather together as Christians? Yes there are. These verses in 1 Corinthians 14, though not being comprehensive, provide several timeless essentials that serve as a basis for both planning and evaluating effective meetings 6Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 1) There should be high levels of personal preparedness, participation and contribution. Paul is speaking hypothetically when he says, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you? He is saying, Imagine I join in your meeting, and I rattle off in tongues, it wont really help anyone, will it?

It is better to bring something that will be more helpful to the meeting. Then he lists four possible intelligible contributions: revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction. In verse 26, he provides a similar list of possible contributions: When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. What does he mean by these lists? Firstly, he means that, when the church gathers, many people can make a verbal contribution that will encourage those gathered. Everything on Pauls two lists is verbal in nature. When the church gathers, there needs to be lots of speaking and singing. Christianity is more than an experience of God. It is intelligible. It can be, and needs to be, expressed in words. Sometimes these words are directed to God, and sometimes they are directed at people. Secondly, he gives us some ideas about possible verbal contributions to be made. Since Paul does not define exactly what he means by words such as revelation, knowledge, a word of instruction, and a hymn, we cannot be totally sure what he means by these things. There is very likely an overlap of meaning. Pauls point is that there are very diverse verbal contributions to be made. However, let me explore these four words. A revelation is something very similar to a prophecy. It perhaps started with the words, Let me share something the Lord revealed to me. Knowledge is either something very similar to teaching, or is possibly the same as supernatural knowledge, where some miraculously given information about a person or a group of people is shared. A word of instruction is teaching from the Scriptures about some aspect of the gospel, or some aspect of applying the gospel. A hymn is a song, usually one of the Psalms from the Old Testament, or sometimes a specific Christian song that was known to the congregation. Thirdly, he implies that people come to the meeting prepared. In verse 6 Paul tells us that we are to bring something with us to a meeting, and in verse 26 he suggests that, when we come together, we have something to share. People come not just to receive insight and encouragement, but they come ready to share it. Heres an analogy: much like a picnic where everyone is meant to bring something, and in that way everyone benefits from what is brought, so when many people come with something, many benefit. But if only a few people bring something, many people are likely to go hungry. Does Paul imply that everyone gets a turn to share something? Obviously, it depends on the size of the gathering. After all, if there are too many people, as Paul later says (v27,28), we should limit the amount of contributions. Does Paul teach here that every Christian gathering should consist of many different people making one-at-a-time contributions? This is a difficult question to answer. If this were the only Scriptural teaching on what happens in Christian gatherings, we would have to say yes. But were told that some Christian meetings in the early church were more characterized by encountering God (Acts 2:1-11), extensive teaching (Acts 2:42, 19:9), or eating, which usually included the Lords Supper (Acts 2:46), or prayer (Acts 4:24,31), or worship (Acts 13:2). The picture that emerges in the

New Testament is that there were no hard and fast rules about what happened in their meetings. And that there were many different components that may or may not be included in any given meeting. How does this apply to us today? Though not all meetings will maximise the one-at-a-time participation and contribution of many, in any given local church there needs to be at least some meetings that do just that. For example, many churches nowadays have three different kinds of regular meetings: 1) there is the whole-church gathering which consists mainly of singing, and of gifted teachers preaching from the Word; 2) there is the prayer meeting; and 3) there is the small group meeting. Though the whole-church meeting is not always suitable to having too many contributions, prayer meetings and small group gatherings offer ideal environments for doing so. 7Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. 12So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. 2) People need to understand what is happening and being said. Paul has one argument that is repeatedly made in verses 1-25: that what happens in a church meeting must be understand-able. The Corinthians had the unhelpful practice of having many people rattle off in uninterpreted tongues all at the same time. Paul is, through common sense arguments, trying to get them to see why it is unhelpful. He offers three analogies, with analogies one and two being very similar. Analogy one: someone picks up a flute and makes unpleasant sounds on it without any distinction of notes (v7). There is noise, but there is no music. In the same way, when someone shares something that makes no sense, there is noise but no message. It is an unpleasant experience. Analogy two: in a war-battle, the person who is meant to communicate instructions via the specific sounds coming from their trumpet, instead makes a random noise that no one can understand (v8). In the same way, when someone shares something that makes no sense, there is noise but no message. It is a confusing experience. Analogy three: a foreigner tries to speak to us in a language we dont understand (v10-11). In the same way, when someone shares something that makes no sense, there is noise but no message. It is a frustrating experience. Then Paul brings his argument together by saying: Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church (v12).

Paul does not correct their eagerness to move in the Spirit, but rather tries to channel this eagerness into what will be most helpful to the church and its mission. Still today, an important factor in any Christian gathering is whether what is being done or said makes sense to people. If a tongue is brought without interpretation that is unhelpful. If a song is sung with words that dont make sense, that is unhelpful. If there is jargon that excludes people looking in, that is unhelpful. If the message goes over peoples heads, or is very difficult to follow because what is being said is unclear, that is unhelpful. It is noise without meaning. It must not be allowed.

12Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. 13For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? 17You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. 18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. 3) God should be enjoyed and exalted with both feeling and thought. What did Paul expect to happen in church gatherings? Here we see that there would have been times of ministering to God in prayer (v14), song (v15), praise (v16) and thanksgiving (v17). The purpose of this time was primarily to enjoy and exalt God. Still today, most meetings in the life of a church need time given to enjoy and exalt God. We notice that there are two main components to exalting and enjoying God: Spirit and truth, or said another way, feeling and thought. We see that Paul both prayed/sang/praise with 1) his spirit or heart (with the help of the Holy Spirit) and 2) with his mind (with the help of the truth) (v1516). It was as though he was enjoying and exalting God in two ways at the same time, and these two ways interacted with each other. He engaged God with his heart / spirit, using song and expressed emotion. And he engaged God with his head, making an effort to bring to mind those truths about God that make him worthy of worship. Christ, teaching something similar about worship, said to a Samaritan woman: You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth (John

4:22-24). On one hand, we are to enjoy and exalt God in Spirit. The Spirit awakens our spirits, hearts and affections to the reality of God. He is the one who enables us to experience God intimately and directly. Without the presence and ministry of the Spirit, we would not be able to experience genuine heart-felt enjoyment of and affection for God. But on the other hand, our minds need to be filled with the Bibles teaching about God, Jesus and salvation. While we are enjoying God in our spirits, we are at the same time affirming various aspects of the teaching about God. Our hearts are involved, but so are our heads. Our affections are involved, but they are alongside affirmations about God. The affirmations about God energize our affections for God. And our affections for God energize our affirmations about God. Both our heads and our hearts are dynamically and interdependently involved in our time of meeting with God. Nowadays, there are some churches that seem to weigh either toward the Spirit (and affections) where whats more important is what one is feeling, rather than what one is thinking as they worship God. And then there are churches that weigh towards the truth (and affirmations) where what one is thinking is more important than what one is feeling while they worship God. But clearly both are needed! God can only receive the enjoyment and exaltation that he is so worthy of if we worship him in both Spirit and truth. One simple application of this is in the songs that we select in our worship of God: they need to be both melodically beautiful and theologically rich. There are too many popular Christian songs that are only conducive to expressing affection toward God, but because they are so shallow, and sometimes heretical, in lyrical content it becomes impossible to sufficiently engage our minds.

4) Believers need to be edified. Paul was greatly concerned that gathered Christians would be built up (v12), edified (v17), and instructed (v19). We have already heard him speak of his passion that the church would be experience strengthening, encouragement and comfort (v3). Similarly, Hebrews 10:24-25 says, And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one anotherand all the more as you see the Day approaching. What does it mean to edify the church? It means to take the church, and its individual members, to ever-higher levels of joy and generosity, to ever-deeper insight into the gospel and the Word, and to ever-more readiness to trust, persevere and obey. Still today, our gatherings are meant to build up, edify, instruct, strengthen, encourage, comfort and spur the church on. If believers find themselves bored, uninspired, discouraged, confused, weakened or distressed by what happens in Christian meetings, something has profoundly gone wrong. Christians should leave a meeting freshly inspired and moved to follow Christ. 20Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in

your thinking be adults. 21In the Law it is written: "Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me," says the Lord. 22Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. 23So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" 5) Unbelievers need to be effectively drawn in. This section is difficult to understand. So, in this point I will spend most of the time simply making sense of what Paul is saying, and then at the end I will apply it to our churches today. Stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults (v20). The Corinthian churchs thinking about the purpose and nature of Christian meetings was childish and nave. It is acceptable to be nave about some of the evil happening in the world (this is what Paul means by in regard to evil be infants), but it is unacceptable to be nave about what it is God is calling us to do as a church (this is what Paul means by but in your thinking be mature). In the Law it is written: "Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me," says the Lord (v21). Paul quotes Isaiah 28:11-12, which speaks of how God brought judgment on the Israelites by causing a foreign army, who spoke foreign languages, to invade them. For the Israelites it was really bad news to hear these foreign languages at the time they were invaded. But what has this got to do with the church in Corinth? Verse 23 will help us make sense of it: in the meetings, the church would rattle off constantly in un-interpreted tongues, and non-Christians who were present, would be freaked out and would leave. Instead of experiencing Christianity as good news, theyd experience it as bad news, and would most likely not come back again. Paul is saying that what the nonChristian visitors would experience was comparable to what the Israelites of old experienced when invaded by foreign armies: it was scary and unpleasant. Instead of tongues being a sign of blessing, it became a destructive sign to visitors that had the effect of turning them away from Christ. Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers (v22). This is one of the most difficult to understand verses in the New Testament, since Paul seems to be saying the exact opposite of what he is about to say in verses 23-24, where he speaks of how unhelpful un-interpreted tongues is

to unbelievers, and how helpful prophecy is. The key to making sense of it is that Paul is describing not how tongues and prophecy should be used with regard to unbelievers, but instead how the Corinthians are wrongly using tongues and prophecy. So, by tongues then are a sign not for believers but unbelievers, Paul means the way youre doing things, tongues is a destructive sign, not to the believers, but sadly to the visiting unbelievers. The next clause prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers also needs explaining: it is better translated and not however as the TNIV does here (since the Greek word used is de (usually translated and rather than however or but which would have been correct if the Greek word used was alla). Paul is saying in effect, and prophecy, though potentially helpful to these visiting non-Christians, is something you deprive them of, and rather enjoy when theyre not there. The fact that this line of interpretation is right becomes obvious by looking at verses 23-25. Notice Pauls vision for impacting non-Christians in Christian meetings. He anticipates that some who do not understand or some unbelievers (mentioned twice in verses 23 and 24) will be present. This most likely refers to the presence of two kinds of non-Christians: responsive seekers, who are asking questions as they openly explore Christianity, and those who are not as responsive to the gospel, but are nonetheless there. Paul argues that if there is unintelligible, un-interpreted tongues that it will turn them off Christianity. But that if there are some intelligible prophetic words that really speak to them personally, that this may bring them to the point of conversion (v24-25). They will become convinced theyre sinners needing the Saviour Jesus Christ. They will feel like the secrets of their heart are laid bare, probably referring to that sense that the God who knows every detail of their lives, including every secret sin, hope and fear, is speaking directly to them. Though they may have been previously unconvinced that God really is present with this church, they will become convinced that God really is dynamically present in this gathering with these people (v25). So what does this mean for us today? 1) It means we should readily invite non-Christians to our meetings and warmly host them. 2) It means some of them will be more receptive to the gospel than others. 3) It means we should be mindful of the perceptions of non-Christian people, and in our meetings we should put some thought into saying and doing things in a way that will more likely draw them toward Christ, rather than deter them from finding salvation in Christ, or from coming back again. 4) It means that we should anticipate that God, through prophecy, and through Spirit-empowered preaching (which is a form of prophecy) has a way of speaking directly to non-Christians and persuading them that he is real, and he is here. 5) It means that if non-Christians hardly ever come, nor come back again, nor find God in our meetings that something is wrong with the way were doing our meetings.

Orderly Worship 26What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone

has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. 27If anyone speaks in a tongue, twoor at the most threeshould speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God. 29Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. 6) The time needs to be led well. For commentary on verse 26, see commentary on its parallel verse, verse 6. Elsewhere Paul speaks of the importance of elders, who direct the affairs of the church (1 Tim 5:17). Paul is not mentioning the role of leaders in these verses, but it is my opinion that he is subtly implying that they would be present to make sure that what he is saying would be implemented. Not that these leaders would play an overly dominant role, but they would nonetheless play the important role of facilitating and keeping within parameters all the contributions being made, as well as bringing any correction if needed. Paul here gives many guidelines to the giving of contributions within meetings. 1) Though many should be able to share, there should be a limitation to the number of contributions. For example there should be no more than two, or at the most three, interpreted tongues (v27), and at most two or three prophetic words. When Paul says that everyone has (v26) a contribution and everyone can prophesy in turn (v31), he is very unlikely saying that everyone will share it in one meeting, unless the meeting is relatively small in attendance, in which case it would be possible. 2) Contributions need to be evaluated. For example, after a prophetic word, the others should weigh carefully what is said (v29). Everyone, no doubt guided by the leaders present, needs to evaluate the credibility and timeliness of the prophecy using questions such as the following: Is it really was from God? Is it compatible with the clear teachings of Scripture? Is it compatible with the overall flow of what God has been saying in the meeting so far? What effect does it have on those present: joy and peace, or gloom and dread? Has it been graciously given? Is it a word for the strengthening of the whole church or perhaps a word from God only meant for the person who shared it, not everyone? 3) People must patiently wait their turn. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop (v30). Just because one has a burning revelation, doesnt mean it must be shared right now. Rather wait for the previous speaker to finish up. On this point, the previous speaker must not go on so long that the next person doesnt get a turn. 4) Just because someone feels compelled to share something, doesnt mean they have to share it, or share it now. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets (v32). Although we cant

self-generate a prophetic word, we can decide the best time and way to share it. No one may say, I had no choice but to speak right now; the Holy Spirit made me do it. 5) Though the meeting can be energetic and lively, there needs to a sense of order and direction about it. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace (v33). 33b As in all the congregations of the saints, 34women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. 36Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. 38If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored. 39Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. 7) There needs to be appropriate submission to leadership, and to the authority of Gods Word. The first thing we notice from these verses is that there needs to be appropriate submission to God-given authority. Verses 34-35 seem harsh and chauvinistic, until we understand a few things. 1) In 11:2-16, Paul had already taught that it was expected that women would prophesy and pray in the church meetings, so he cannot be speaking of total silence in meetings. Over and above that, the New Testament expects that women will be richly involved in many kinds of ministries, with the exception of eldership. 2) The phrase as the Law says means to As the Scriptures say, most likely referring to Gen 2:18-25 (which he commented on in 11:8-9) which establishes the fact that in a marriage a wife is to be under the loving authority of her husband. See commentary on 11:2-16 for more insight into this. 3) The context Paul is speaking into is what has just been mentioned: the evaluation of prophetic words (v29), which is in many ways a leadership role. 4) It seems that many women in the church were aggressively assuming a leadership role of evaluating prophesies. It is even possible that they were saying that the Spirit made them do it (which Paul had just spoken of in verse 32). 5) When we consider these previous 4 points, it is understandable that Paul reminded the women to not interject in unhelpful ways, and in ways that revealed they were assuming the spiritual authority reserved for the elders. Paul suggests that it might be better for wives to talk it through at home with their husband, who can best help her, especially (as was the case with the Corinthian women) when she struggles to submit to the spiritual authority of the elders in the church. The second thing we notice in these verses is that, even more important

than submitting to God-given authority, we need to submit to the authority of the Bible. Paul had given some clear directives for use of spiritual gifts, as well as the purpose and guidelines of meeting together as a church. Now he reminds them that what he has written is the Lords command. Just because they can receive revelations directly from God, doesnt mean they can ignore or over-ride the clear directions of Paul, who was one of the first-generation apostles, entrusted by God with the task of writing the New Testament, which can be summarized as the apostles teaching (Acts 2:42). All of our prophecies need to be evaluated against the backdrop of Scripture. Wherever a prophetic word, or the way a prophetic word is brought, contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture, it must be rejected. On this last point of the Word of God, let me deal with a pertinent question: Why does Paul not say anywhere in his teaching in chapter 14 that the Bible should be opened, that when we come together, make sure you spend considerable time preaching, discussing, understanding and applying it? Let me answer by making a few points: 1) Elsewhere Paul did command that the Old Testament be publicly read in the meetings: Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching (1 Tim 4:13). It is possible that the Corinthian church, consisting mainly of Gentiles, did not have a copy of the Old Testament though. 2) Much of the contributions that would have been brought would have simply been reminding each other of various things that apostles and teachers had taught them previously. 3) It would take many more decades before the church would be able to collect copies of documents that now make up the New Testament. 4) In conclusion, had Paul written to them after they had copies of all the New Testament documents, which is the situation we find ourselves in today, it is most likely that he would have asked them in the meetings to devote themselves to the reading and study of these documents. This does not mean that prophetic contributions would come to an end; just that they would exist alongside a rich exploration of the Scriptures. Indeed, though were privileged to have Bibles, with both the Old and New Testaments within reach, we must still eagerly prophesy and not forbid speaking in tongues (v39).

In conclusion, based on the main points Ive derived from 1 Corinthians 14:6-40, we have several questions to keep in mind that will help us to plan better meetings, as well as to evaluate our meetings: First, are there high levels of personal preparedness, participation and contribution? Second, do people understand what is happening and being said? Third, is God enjoyed and exalted with both feeling and thought? Fourth, are believers edified? Fifth, are unbelievers effectively drawn in? Sixth, is the time led well? Seventh, is there appropriate submission to leadership, and to the authority of Gods Word?

20) THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL (5:1-11)

1 Corinthians 15
1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. The gospel needs to be received. The Corinthian church came into being through Paul preaching the message of the gospel to them. They believed, and they took their stand on it, and ever since then by this gospel they were being saved. It was Pauls encouragement that they would not in any way loosen their grip on this gospel. Still today, the way to become a Christian is to believe and receive the gospel. This is past tense. But then we are to continue to take our stand upon it. It is a solid foundation upon which to build our lives and churches. This is present tense. And amazingly, by this gospel we are being saved (perhaps a better translation that we are saved (v2). This does not mean that we are being justified, since justification happened the moment we were initially saved and was complete. It rather refers to the process of being made more like Jesus, to sanctification. As we continue to believe in this gospel, holding firmly to it, it has an ongoing impact on our lives. It enables us to experience Gods continuing transforming work in our lives. This is present-to-future tense. The gospel is central to the Christian life. We become Christians the moment we receive it by faith. We then stand upon it, and hold onto it. And as we do so, it continues to do its transforming work in our lives. We see this wherever the gospel is believed. For example, listen to what Paul said to the Thessalonian church: And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it (notice the past tense) not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe (notice the present tense) (1 Thessalonians 2:13). What does Paul mean by otherwise, you have believed in vain? Is he saying, The moment you doubt the gospel you lose your salvation? No, the better translation is unless you have believed in vain. This thought comes up again in verse 17: And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile (or in vain); you are still in your sins. Paul is therefore saying, unless the message you have believed is untrue in which case you have believed in vain. Today, there are two main kinds of people in the world: those who have heard and received the gospel, and those who either havent heard it, or though they have heard it, have failed to receive it. 3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he

was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. The gospel should be of first importance. For what I received I passed on to you. The gospel Paul preached was not his own. It was passed down to him from those who were Christians before he was. Although Paul certainly did make a contribution to the theology of the early church, he did not change what was passed onto him, and the gospel that was passed on to him always remained of primary importance. Elsewhere Paul speaks of his commitment to teach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), which is a term that summed up all the doctrine that the Bible teaches. But at the heart of all doctrine are some most essential truths, which Paul is about to mention. These most essential truths are at the heart of the gospel The gospel has some main tenets. Although there certainly is more to the gospel than what Paul mentions in these verses, these verses capture four major tenets of the gospel. They capture what most urgently needs to be communicated to non-Christians, and most intensely needs to be cherished by Christians. There are four main tenets: First tenet: The gospel reveals who Jesus is and what he has done. The gospel declares that the man Jesus of Nazareth, born of Mary, who lived to the age of 33, was no ordinary man. In fact he was none other than the promised Christ (which is Greek for Messiah). The Messiah promised throughout the Old Testament was to be both the Saviour of the Jewish people, as well as the divine Lord of the whole world. The gospel says that all these prophecies were fulfilled in the person of Christ. Though Jesus was divine, yet he was also fully human. Only a human could have died. As mysterious as this truth is, Jesus was fully God, and fully man at the same time. Second tenet: The gospel declares salvation from sins through the cross. The gospel doesnt just declare who Jesus is, but what he did while he was on earth. The word gospel means good news of something that has happened. It doesnt call people to do something as much as it declares that something has been done, and that we need to receive this news with faith and joy. Well, what has been done? The answer is: God has accomplished salvation from sin for the human race through Jesus. Christ died for our sins (v3). We all like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way (Isaiah 53:6a). God is holy, and we are sinful. And since God is the Holy Judge who cannot pretend our sins are not real, we are on a collision course with his judgment, to be revealed on Judgment Day. But amazingly the LORD has laid on him (Christ) the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6b). He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). Though Jesus was and is sinless, yet on the cross, God took our sins and put them on Jesus, and punished them there. He took the punishment we deserve, so that now we can be declared righteous in the sight of God if we trust in Christ.

Third tenet: The gospel affirms that Jesus is resurrected and is alive. He was buried, but he was raised on the third day (v4). He appeared to Peter and to the Twelve and many others (v5). Jesus resurrected from the dead. And he is therefore still alive as Lord. Unlike the Greek gods who were mythological, Jesus was a real person who really lived, died and rose again in history. There was a day and a place in the history of our planet that Jesus corpse came back to life. Fourth tenet: The gospel culminates Gods long prophetic plan recorded in the Old Testament. Twice Paul mentions that all this happened according to the Scriptures (v3,4). What God did through Jesus was the fulfilment of many prophecies from centuries before. For example, if we look at arguably the most potent prophecy in the Old Testament, Isaiah 53, we see that the coming Messiah would die for our sins (Isaiah 53:28), would be buried (Isaiah 53:9), and would indeed rise again from the dead (Isaiah 53:10-12). Jesus fulfilled these prophetic Scriptures.

6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. The gospel describes events that really happened; events such as the resurrection. The gospel describes events that really happened namely the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. If these things did not happen then our faith is a lie. Let us now hone in on one aspect of the gospel, Jesus bodily resurrection from the dead. Jesus physically rose from the dead. The evidence for this is great. Though we cannot prove it beyond all doubt (how can we prove anything that happened in antiquity beyond all doubt), there is sufficient evidence to say we can prove it beyond all reasonable doubt. 1) The church was born because of the numerous people who claimed to have witnessed him alive again. In verse 6 Paul mentions 500 people. If we add up all the recorded encounters with Christ in the 40 days after his resurrection, there are at least 11, and the total number of people is at least 550. That is a lot of witnesses! It wasnt just one or two people on one or two occasions, but rather it was multiple people on multiple occasions that witnessed his resurrected body. Some sceptics claim that these people were having hallucinations, but there is no such thing as repeated mass hallucinations. Besides, had they been hallucinating, the early opponents to this message about Jesus resurrection could have simply found Jesus dead body and showed it to all. But they couldnt do this, because he was alive. In fact it wasnt long before the church seemed to forget where the burial site of Jesus was. (The one that claims to be the site today in Israel is only a possible site). Had Jesus not risen from the dead, and had Christianity still taken off (which would be unlikely), they would have turned the burial site into a place of worship. But they never did, because indeed Christ was alive.

2) Jesus resurrection is the only explanation for the day-and-night change in his disciples. Because Paul just mentioned Peter (v5), lets take Peter for example. When Jesus was about to be crucified, a servant girl asked Peter if he knew Jesus and out of fear, he said, No I dont. When Jesus was dead, the disciples ran for their lives in fear. But fifty days later, Peter boldly stood up in front of thousands saying, He rose from dead! We saw it with our own eyes (see Acts 2:22-32). Some sceptics say, Peter was faking it. He and his friends wanted to launch a new religion, with themselves as the leaders. But that is impossible. Heres why: Peter was so convinced that Jesus had risen from the dead, that he was willing to be crucified upside down because he refused to deny it. It is true that people can make up lies to profit themselves, but it is not true that people would die for these lies. Theyd sooner admit their lie, if it meant their lives could be spared. Yet ten of the twelve disciples willingly embraced martyrdom for their claims about Jesus (Judas took his own life, and John survived to old age). 3) Jesus resurrection is the only explanation for the conversion of James and Paul. Think of James (v7). James was one of Jesus earthly brothers (Mark 6:3). Before Jesus died were told that Jesus immediate family were unconvinced that he was the Messiah (see Mark 3:20,21,31 and John 7:3-5). But after his resurrection he appeared to James who was so impacted by this that he too became a disciple of Jesus (so that he was present with the church soon after Christs ascension in Acts 1:14), and in a matter of years was leading the Jerusalem church. Only an encounter of his resurrected brother could have impacted him this radically. Then think of the apostle Paul. Paul's transformation is evidence of the resurrection. He once killed followers of Christ, but then became one of them, all because he encountered the resurrected Christ (Acts 9:1-6). From where did Paul get his boldness for ministry in the face of such opposition (including ultimate martyrdom)? Let him answer: he appeared to me (v7). Interestingly, Josh McDowell, author of 'The Resurrection Factor' and 'Evidence that demands a verdict' set out as a young atheist to disprove Christianity and ended up becoming a Christian mainly because he could not refute the evidence for the resurrection. If Jesus did rise from the dead, as the evidence points to, then the gospel is true, and should be embraced!

8 last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 9For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. God is able to save and use us regardless of our past. What does Paul mean by calling himself one abnormally born? The Greek word is ektroma which literally means abortion, still-birth or miscarriage. He is making the point that he was very different to the Twelve apostles. For example, 1) though the apostles saw the resurrected Christ before he had ascended, he only encountered the already-ascended

Jesus many years later, 2) he didnt have the normal gestation period of spending three years being trained by Jesus like the others did, 3) he didnt seem to carry the physical stature of a likely apostle he was called Paul (which means small) and 4) he was more wicked than all the other apostles in that when he was called by Christ he was on his way seeking to destroy the church of God. By calling himself abnormally born he was also declaring himself the least of the apostles, and the least deserving of all the apostles. In 1 Timothy 1:13-16 Paul tells his testimony of experiencing undeserved grace in more detail: Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinnersof whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. What a wonderful God! If he could save and use Paul, then he can save and use anyone. That is why the gospel must be preached to all, and by all.

10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of themyet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. God saves and uses us by his powerful grace. Paul became a Christian by grace. And Paul became an apostle by grace. Grace here refers to the undeserved powerful working of God in a persons life. By Gods grace Paul, though once a violent persecutor, became a highly effective apostle. Paul worked really hard as he gave himself to the call of God upon his life, but he says that back behind his own efforts was the empowering grace of God. That is what he means by yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Still today, God saves and uses us by his grace. His grace is not deserved. We cannot earn Gods grace. We deserve judgment not grace. Yet, God gives us grace. And this grace works powerfully in our lives. At first, his grace enables us to become Christians. It is by grace we believe and are born again. It is by grace weve been saved, through faith and this is not of ourselves, but is rather the gift of God so we cannot boast (Eph 2:89). And then, once were born again, God starts to move us in the direction of his call upon our lives. His grace works powerfully in us to do all the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10). Of course we need to co-operate. It is possible to give in to laziness and distraction. But Gods grace is available for us to rise as high as God wants us to rise, to go as far as God wants us to go, and to do everything that God wants us to do. An analogy may help: a sailor can sail across an

ocean with the help of the wind, but only if he harnesses the power of the wind. In the same way, if we are to become all God wants us to become, and do all God wants us to do, we need to learn to lift up the sails of faith and co-operation to the winds of Gods empowering grace. In verses 3-4, we saw the first four major tenets of the gospel. Now, in verses 9-11 we have seen a fifth major tenet of the gospel: were saved and used by God by sheer grace. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed (v11). Paul preached this gospel, as did all the apostles. This is the gospel that we are to believe. It has not changed over time. It is the eternal, timeless message to be proclaimed, believed, explored and applied by all people from all cultures at all times. Every Christian should regularly revisit and ever more deeply explore these truths, and should be ready to articulate them to people around them. Here are the gospels main tenets: 1) The gospel reveals who Jesus is and what he has done. 2) The gospel declares salvation from sins through the cross. 3) The gospel affirms that Jesus is resurrected and is alive. 4) The gospel culminates Gods long prophetic plan recorded in the Old Testament. 5) The gospel invites us, though undeserving, to be saved and used by God through Gods sheer grace.

21) WHERE TO FROM HERE? PART 1 (15:12-34) The Resurrection of the Dead 12But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. What happened to Christ happens to those of us who trust in Christ. In verses 1-11 Paul has restated what the Corinthians already believed. They believe the gospel, and they believe that Jesus rose again from the dead physically. But where is he going with this? In these verses it becomes apparent. It turns out that many in the Corinthian church didnt believe that they would receive glorified resurrection bodies in the next life. They seemed to believe they had already arrived, and were supersaints already and there wasnt much more to salvation than what they had already achieved. Yes, they believed in life after death, but their view of the life hereafter was simply that they would live on as immortal souls, which was a Greek idea, not a biblical one. Paul will argue that the gospel promises that those in Christ will receive so much more than just the immortality of their soul. Rather they will eternally live in glorified bodies, in a glorified new heaven and earth. Sadly, many in the church of Corinth didnt believe this. Now we see why Paul has started with re-asserting Christs resurrection. His argument is this: what happened to Jesus, will happen to us who trust in him (v12), and if it doesnt happen to us, then it never happened to him (v13). Paul is reminding them, and us, that we are in Christ. This is a most important truth for Christians to understand. Upon salvation we are placed by God in Christ. This means that we are spiritually and

positionally joined to Christ. It also means that all that is Christs becomes ours. Think how the New Testament affirms this truth again and again from so many angles: We become co-heirs of Christ (Romans 8:17). Our lives are hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). He was crucified; and we are crucified with him (Galatians 2:20). He is righteous in the sight of the Father; and we share his righteous status (2 Corinthians 5:21). He has the Spirit; so do we (Galatians 4:6). He is in heaven; so will we be (John 14:1-4). He is the Son of God; we are made children of God (Galatians 4:67). Christs has incomparable power and authority, something that we have access to (Ephesians 1:19-23). He is seated at the right hand of the Father; and so are we (Ephesians 2:6). When he appears at the time of his return, we will appear with him (Colossians 3:3-4). Because he lives, we live too (John 14:19). Christ is the focus of the Fathers love, and so are we (John 17:23). He is resurrected from the dead; and we already experience his resurrection life (Ephesians 1:19-20), and ultimately, as Paul will say in the verses to come, will receive resurrection bodies too! Oh, that the eyes of hearts would be opened to see our new identity in Christ! This revelation is pivotal in the Christian life. 14And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. If Christ never rose from the dead, were deluded, un-forgiven and hopeless. Paul argues that if the Corinthians deny their own future resurrections that they in the same breath deny Jesus past physical resurrection and this undermines every good thing we have in the gospel. Everything depends on our retaining a firm hold on this doctrine (of Christs resurrection) in particular; for if this one totters and no longer counts, all the others will lose their value and validity (Martin Luther). The gospel promises truth, but if Christ never truly rose from the dead we are deluded. We are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead (v15). But it is true. We are people who have great truth. The gospel promises forgiveness, but if Christ never truly rose from the dead, we are still un-forgiven. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins (v17). But it is true. We are people who have great forgiveness. The gospel promises eternal life with Christ, but if Christ never truly rose from the dead, were hopeless. We die and thats it: game over. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost (v18). Paul adds some comment here: If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be

pitied more than all men (v19). Following Christ calls for great inconvenience, sacrifice, discomfort and very often persecution, sometimes even an early death as a martyr. If we experience all of this, and yet the wonders of a glorious eternity with Christ dont follow, what a mistake. If the gospel isnt true, we should rather live for pleasure, convenience and comfort. We shouldnt rock the boat in anyway. But it is true. Death is merely falling asleep (v18), and transitioning into a glorious eternity, where all the cost that comes with following Christ is more than made up for. Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Rom 8:18). Indeed, we are people who have great hope. 20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. Christs resurrection guarantees and pioneers our own resurrection. The resurrection of Christ, the firstfruits, guarantees our resurrection. In verse 20, Paul compares Christs resurrection to the practice in ancient Israel of offering the firstfruits (i.e. the first portion) of their harvest to God. Interestingly, in the Jewish Calender there was a day called The Feast of Firstfruits, which was observed on the day after the Sabbath following Passover (Leviticus 23:9-14) the very day Jesus rose from the dead! Yet another prophetic fulfilment. What is Paul saying through this metaphor? Answer: Jesus resurrection is merely the first portion or sample; but many more resurrections will follow. Jesus resurrection guarantees ours. Also, the firstfruits comes first, and the rest follows later. In the same way, Jesus resurrection has already happened, but ours is still to come guaranteed. The resurrection of Christ, the Last Adam, pioneers our resurrection. In verse 21-22, Paul puts the first man, Adam and the Last Adam, Christ (v45) side by side, and draws out a parallel. Adam was the head of the human race, and when he sinned, he represented all of us. Through his sin, death came upon us. In him we all sinned and all died. But Christ also represents the human race (specifically those who trust in him), and when he rose from the dead, he pioneered and guaranteed our future resurrection. Adam stands at the head of fallen humanity, doomed to death. Christ stands at the head of a new redeemed humanity, destined to resurrection. Though Adam pioneered our death, Christ pioneered our resurrection from the dead. Oh lets praise Christ! Men admire the man who is first to discover a new country . . . Oh, then, sing it in songs, sound it with voice of trumpet to the ends of the earth Christ is the first who returned from the jaws of death to tell of immortality and light (Spurgeon) 23But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24Then the end will come, when he hands over

the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. Christs resurrection has unyieldingly set in motion three future events. But each in his own turn (v23) means, But each event in its own turn. It tells us that the resurrection of Christ is the first event, but that it in turn sets in motion other events in the future. This is what is meant by Christ, the firstfruits (v23). Since Christ has already resurrected, the next three events are already set in motion, but have not yet happened, but will happen in order The first future event set in motion by Christs resurrection: Christ will come back again and will raise from the dead all those who belong to him (v23). His own resurrection was the first sample of the harvest, while the resurrection of multitudes of Christians is the final and full harvest that inevitably follows. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 speaks of this in greater detail: Do not be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. The second future event set in motion by Christs resurrection: Christ will have full conquest over all his enemies, including death. Verses 24-28 are confusing because the order seems to be muddled. This is until one understands that it is a form of writing called a chiasm where events are first spoken of in reverse order, and then in the correct order, so that the flow of thought is B-A-A-B. Let us first look at the middle section (v24b27), which happens first: after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he "has put everything under his feet." This quotes two prophetic OT Scriptures concerning Christ: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet (Ps 110:1), and You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet (Ps 8: 6). We see that Christ will totally punish and annihilate sin. He will destroy all that is wicked and in opposition against God. He will purge all evil from Gods universe. Though some people misinterpret these verses to mean that unredeemed people are the enemies, we must note that no direct mention is made of his

dealings with unredeemed sinners in these verses (we have to look elsewhere in the Bible for teaching on that). Sin and death are the real enemies, enemies that will be defeated. One day death will be swallowed up in victory (v54). Death, and the suffering that goes with dying, and with the loss of loved ones, will die. Said another way, He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelations 21:4). The third future event set in motion by Christs resurrection: Christs redemptive work will be completed, and a glorious new season will follow where God is all in all. Let me break this point up into three questions that I will answer: 1) What does it mean that Christ will finally hand over the kingdom to God the Father (v24)? Answer: it means his work of redemption will be complete. Though Christ is co-equal and co-divine with the Father, yet we must remember that he is on a mission to redeem the world. The authority he possesses to fulfil his mission is called his kingdom. But there will come a day, when his mission to redeem people and the universe will be complete, and his work as Redeemer and Mediator will be done. He will then hand over the kingdom to the Father. 2) What is meant by verses 27-28, which say, God "has put everything under his feet". Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him? Answer: these verses remind us that, though Christ has all authority in his redemptive mission, his authority has been given to him by the Father (see Matt 28:18) and therefore he functions under the authority of the Father. This is the doctrine of functional subordination, meaning that within the Trinity there is a functional line of authority, with the Father as the head. In no way does this mean that Christ is less worthy of our worship, since he is identical in essence to his Father, and equal in divine status to his Father. 3) What is meant by God will be all in all (v28)? Answer: it means that in every single way Gods will and plan would be done in the universe. Elsewhere Paul links our glorious resurrection to the glorious regeneration and resurrection of the entire universe (Rom 8:19-22). God will be all that he should be in every part of his restored, peaceful, harmonized universe. The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God (Rom 8:21). God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit will continue in their activities forever, but now with different parts to play in that eternal phase of things. The resurrection of Jesus 2000 years ago guarantees it!

29Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 30And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31I die every dayI mean that, brothersjust as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons,

what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." 33Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." 34Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of GodI say this to your shame. What we believe about life after death impacts our approach to life before death. Paul got his teachings about the after-life of believers from Jesus. For example, Jesus taught his disciples that they would be resurrected from the dead and that, depending on how faithful they were to him, they would be rewarded at the time of their resurrection. On one occasion, he said, You will be blessed. Although (people you have previously helped may not be able to) repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (Luke 14:14). Paul has already decisively argued for the fact of the resurrection of believers in chapter 15 so far, a fact of which the Corinthian church were uncertain. Let me repeat a description of the situation Paul was tackling in this part of his letter: Many in the Corinthian church didnt believe that they would receive glorified resurrection bodies in the next life. They seemed to believe they had already arrived, and were super-saints already and there wasnt much more to salvation than what they had already achieved. Yes, they believed in life after death, but their view of the life hereafter was simply that they would live on as immortal souls, which was a Greek idea, not a biblical one. Amazingly, the gospel promises that those in Christ will eternally live in glorified bodies, in a glorified new heaven and earth. Many in the church didnt believe this. Now Paul gives three more brief arguments for the certainty of the resurrection of the dead. Unlike the previous arguments in which he had appealed to theology, in these arguments he appeals to experience. Each argument makes a secondary point that what we believe about what happens when we die impacts how we live now: 1) Only the fact of our future resurrection explains why some people in the Corinthian church, unbiblical as this practice was, were baptised for the dead (v29). Apparently, some members in the church had been baptized in water, not for themselves, but for other people. This verse is one of the most difficult verses in the Bible to understand. Some have documented close to 40 various attempts to explain what this verse is about. I will provide the one I find most compelling: it seems that some Christians died before they were baptized, and living Christians, concerned about the non-baptized state of their departed friend, got baptized for them. Paul, rightly, doesnt commend this practice after all, he has already brought a correction to their magical view of baptism (see 10:1-2). He merely refers to it as if it say, You are inconsistent: on the one hand you dont believe in the resurrection from the dead, but on the other hand some of you are concerned to ensure your friends are raised to new life when they die. As a sub-point, let me draw out another principle: what we believe about what happens when people die impacts

how we respond to the death of fellow-Christians. 2) Only the fact of our future resurrection explains why Paul put his life on the line so much (v30-32a). Paul, on his missionary journey, faced constant danger. He, and those who travelled with him, endangered themselves every hour. Paul said, I die every day, simply referring to how much his life was on the line as he advanced the gospel into hostile territory. He referred to one time in particular when he was in Ephesus where he fought wild beasts (probably referring to the wild and violent opponents he faced in Acts 19:21-41). Its as if Paul is saying, Why was I so ready to lose my life? Obviously because I believed that this life is not all there is after I die, I will be resurrected to new life, and I will receive reward for my faithfulness. My temporary suffering will gain eternal reward. Still today, the certainty of our resurrection from the dead, and the promise that God will reward our faithfulness, and compensate for our suffering has the power to greatly increase our levels of courage. 3) Only the fact of our future resurrection explains why wise Christians dont give in to the lure of hedonism (v32b-34). If there is no resurrection, and no eternal consequences to our choices in this life, then it makes perfect sense to eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die. As an example of this hedonistic mentality, the ancient Egyptians, at the end of a big banquet, would often escort a wooden image of a man in a coffin around the tables, telling people to have a good time now, because youll be dead sooner than you think. But of course this is plain wrong thinking. Paul urges, Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character (v33). Here he quotes a well-known line from a play called Thais. The quote addresses many in the Corinthian church who had been led astray by people with a poor theology on what happens when we die, which had caused them to slack morally. He calls them to come back to their senses as they ought, and to stop sinning (v34). Wrong influences leads to wrong thinking on matters of spiritual importance, which in turn leads to wrong behaviour. We must be discerning about whom we listen to and what we believe because it will impact how we live. We are to hold onto the belief in our future resurrection and the promise of heavenly reward. If we do so, then godliness will be a non-negotiable priority. Correct thinking will lead to correct living. The main point being made by Paul is that what we believe about life after death radically impacts how we approach life before death. As we have seen in these verses, it impacts 1) how we deal with the loss of fellow-believers (v29), 2) how much danger and risk were willing to face for Christs name (v30-32a), and 3) how much godliness were willing to pursue (v32b-34). We desperately need to find out what the gospel says about the life hereafter, and to adjust our lives here-now accordingly!

22) WHERE TO FROM HERE? PART 2 (15:35-58) The Resurrection Body 35But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" 36How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless

it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. For the Christian, death is likened to the sowing of a seed, and resurrection to the raising of a new body from that seed. Paul spends the rest of the chapter answering these two questions: How are the dead raised? and With what kind of body will they come? (v35) He does so by exploring the nature of the Christians resurrected body. He starts off his teaching with a mild rebuke: How foolish! (v36) By this he implies that what he is about to say is not hard to get. It is as though he is saying, Dont you get it? Paul then likens death to the sowing (or burying) of a seed in the ground. It may seem like the end of the seed. But in reality, the seed will give rise to a body that will greatly outclass the seed itself. He is saying that the human body that dies (and how terrible the sight of a corpse) tells us very little about the resurrection body that Christ will bring about! He will give each and every one of us our own body, a body that he has determined (v38). Spurgeon, preaching on these verses, wrote: Truly it is never a pleasant sound, that rattle of the clay upon the coffin-lid, Earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes, nor to the farmer, for its own sake, would it be a very pleasant thing to put his grain into the dull cold earth; yet no farmer ever weeps when he sows his seed. Dear friends, if such be death if it be but a sowing, let us have done with all faithless, hopeless, graceless sorrow. Our family circle has been broken, say you. Yes, but only broken that it may be re-formed. You may have lost a dear friend: yes, but only lost that friend that you may find him again, and find more than you lost. They are not lost; they are sown. 39All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendour of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendour of the earthly bodies is another. 41The sun has one kind of splendour, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendour. 42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. Our resurrection body will be wonderfully suited to life in the new heavens and earth. Paul speaks of the different kinds of physical bodies: human bodies, animals, birds, fish. These are earthly bodies (v40). Then he makes an interesting jump to heavenly bodies (v40), and speaks of the sun, the moon and the stars. Paul makes the point that each body has its own kind of splendour. It is a body that is perfectly suited, by Gods creative genius (v38), to its environment. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead (v42). The point that is being made is that our resurrection bodies will be perfectly

suited to the eternal environment we will one day find ourselves in: the new heavens and the new earth. Its possible that our heavenly reward will be evident in our resurrection body. We cannot be absolutely sure that Paul implies the following point, but it does seem to be implied: our resurrection bodies will differ from each other in their radiance of Gods glory. Star differs from star in splendour (v41). Paul has constantly mentioned the reality of reward throughout this letter. It is quite possible that our resurrection bodies will, depending on our levels of faithfulness to God in this life, have varying capacities to shine with Gods glory in the next. In much the same way that some light bulbs have a higher wattage than others, and yet all shine with the same Source, so in the new heavens and the new earth, it is possible that we may all shine the glory of the same source, God himself, and yet have differing capacities to do so. Jesus often spoke of how God would honour some in heaven this is one simple way he might do just that. This idea of resurrection bodies shining with Gods glory to the degree weve been faithful is first found in Daniel 12:2-3: Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. Though spiritual experiences can never serve as a basis for doctrine, let me nonetheless share a dream my wife had that shook her to the core. She believed it was a dream that God gave her. In the dream she understood that while on earth, God is at work beautifying our hearts and characters to reflect Christs heart and character. In the new heavens and new earth, God will then also beautify us externally. But here is the thing she heard God (she believes it was God) say to her: to the degree you allow me to beautify you internally in this life, to that degree I will beautify you externally in the next life. If that really was God speaking to her (and we cant be sure) then it concurs with the point that Ive just made: our heavenly reward will be evident in our resurrection body. 42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. The resurrection body is something to look forward to. Our bodies now are perishable. They get sick. They break, age and deteriorate with time. They have a time limit. But our bodies then will never age, nor deteriorate nor end. In a time of persecution in England under Queen Mary, a lame man and a blind man were burned at the stake, side by side, for their faith in Christ. Moments before the fire was ignited, the lame man cast away his crutch, and comforted his blind friend saying,

Were about to be healed! He had obviously read these verses. Our bodies now tend toward dishonour, especially in death. There are few things as ghastly as a rotting corpse. But our bodies then will radiate with Gods glory. This will be the visible outshining of Gods holiness. We have a glimpse of this in Moses as he descends from Mt Sinai with his face glowing: the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory (2 Corinthians 3:7). And another glimpse of this with Jesus transfiguration: His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light (Matthew 17:2). Our bodies now are weak and fragile. The older we get the weaker we become, until one day our heart becomes too weak to even continue pumping, our lungs too weak to continue breathing. But our bodies then will be powerful. Well have heightened senses and abilities. Jesus own resurrection body gives us some clues about its superpower: his ability to move great distances in a moment (see Luke 24:13, 33 and 36), and his ability to walk through walls (John 20:26) for example. Our bodies now are natural (v44). The Greek word is psuchike (also used in 2:14). A natural body refers to a body characterized by ordinary human life. But then our bodies will be spiritual, or better translated, Spiritual (v44). This refers to the fact that in the new heavens and the new earth our bodies will be vehicles of the Holy Spirits power and glory. It does not mean, as some wrongly take it, that our bodies will be made of spirit and will be immaterial. Pauls whole point is that we will be a body and not, as the Corinthians likely believed, a disembodied spirit or soul. Again, as we look at Jesus resurrected body, we see that, though it had superpowers, yet he still did things that showed he was material he ate and drank for example (Luke 24:39-43), and he could be touched.

45So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. Though were born in Adams likeness, those who are in Christ now will one day resurrect in Christs likeness. So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit (v45). Speaking about Adam, Paul refers to Genesis 2:7, which says, Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Adam, our forefather, had a natural, living body given to him by God, who breathed life into him. Note that Adam had a life-receiving body. And we, his descendants have been born in his likeness into natural bodies, with life and breath that comes from God. But Jesus, the last Adam, in his resurrection body now has a life-giving body. Jesus is obviously not a spirit or the Holy Spirit. Most likely Pauls

use of the word spirit plays upon Genesis 2:7 where God powerfully breathed into Adam (the Hebrew word ruach can be translated breath or spirit). Heres the point: Christ has a life-giving body. He will recreate us in resurrection bodies, that are similar to his own. Jesus Christ, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21). The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual (v46). We have natural bodies now, but one day those in Christ will have spiritual bodies. The Corinthian church sometimes thought they had arrived spiritually (see 1 Corinthians 4:8 for example), and Paul reminds them that there is so much more to come. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven (v48). Adam, the earthly man can only give us his natural body, fragile and fallen (see Genesis 5:3). But Christ, the man from heaven, in all his resurrection glory, gives us resurrection life, pulsing through our bodies already now (see Ephesians 1:18-20), but ultimately giving us resurrection bodies one day. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so we bear the likeness of the man from heaven (v49). We were born with a body like Adams, and have carried a sinful spiritual genetic like sinful Adams. But wonderfully, if we are in Christ, we already carry his spiritual genetic (2 Corinthians 5:17), and are being transformed into Christs likeness in our character (2 Corinthians 3:18), and one day will be transformed into a resurrection body that is similar to his own. Amazing!

50I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. Well experience instant change when we receive our resurrection bodies. In verse 50, Paul again states that our bodies as they now are (i.e. flesh and blood and perishable) are not suited to life in the kingdom of God (here referring to our future existence in the new heavens and the new earth under the direct reign of God). Then in verses 51-53, he restates that our earthly bodies will be changed into different bodies imperishable, immortal ones. It as though we will have a change of clothing (v53), when our glorious resurrection bodies replace our earthly ones. Paul tells us a mystery (v51). By mystery he means something that was once not known, but now through the gospel of Jesus has been made known. Fascinatingly, in the Old Testament, there is very little insight given to what happens when we die. It is in Christ that these truths have

been revealed to the world. So what is the mystery? We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed (v51b,52). There is coming a day when Christ will return. Those believers who have fallen asleep (i.e. died) will instantly (i.e. in a twinkling of an eye) receive their resurrection bodies. At that time, so will the last living generation of believers (that is what Paul means by we will be changed, a reference to living believers). What is the significance of the sounding of the last trumpet? The Old Testament often speaks of the meaning of the trumpet blast. It can refer to how the Israelites in the desert were told to break camp and move to the next stage by the sounding of the trumpet. The last trumpet will call us as the people of God to break camp from life as we now know it. We will move to the next stage it will be the greatest moving forward there ever was. The trumpet blast is also linked with the coming of the Lord (Zechariah 9:14), and to the summoning of the people of God from all over the world (Isaiah 27:13). Indeed that day when our bodies change, will be the time when Christ comes, and when all Gods people are summoned to him. All believers of all times the deceased and the still-alive will be part of the throng that come to him. This point surfaces another question: if deceased Christians only receive their resurrection bodies when Christ returns, what happens to them between the time of their death, and the day of Christs return? This is called the doctrine of the intermediate life. Comfortingly, were told in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that the moment we die will be absent from the body and present with the Lord. Although we will not yet have all there is to have, yet we will be with Christ. Christ compared this intermediate state for the believer to being in paradise (think of Jesus words to the new convert on the cross next to him: Today, you will be with me in paradise). One more thought is that this intermediate state may pass by quickly even for those who died thousands of years ago, it is doubtful that it would feel like a long time, since a thousand years in Gods sight, and no doubt in Gods presence, is like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night (Psalm 90:4).

54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Well experience dramatic victory when we receive our resurrection bodies. What does it mean that the saying (quoted from Hosea 10:14), death has been swallowed up in victory will come true (v54)? The moment that Christians receive their resurrection bodies, they receive immortal bodies

that will never die. Death will be swallowed up, in much the same way that dead people are swallowed up by the grave. This time it will be death itself that will be buried. Freud, the psychologist once said, And finally there is the painful riddle of death, for which no remedy at all has yet been found, nor probably ever will be. Of course he was dead wrong! The remedy is available through trusting in Christ. What is meant by, Where, O death, is your sting? (v55) Christians will still die but the death we face will be without a sting. The sting of death is sin. In other words the real problem is not just the end of our physical existence, but dying with our sin not forgiven. The reason that death is so terrifying is that we die with sin on our record, sin that will be punished by God. Even if the unbeliever were to die gently, death is nothing less than a head-on collision with a Holy God. Spurgeon, employing some of the imagery Christ used to depict the terrible experience of judgment, warns unbelievers who reject Christ about what happens when they die: The lip with which you have drunk the intoxicating drink till you have reeled again, that lip shall be used in drinking down the fiery wrath of God. Remember, too, ungodly woman, the eyes that are full of lust will one day be full of horror; the ear with which you listen to lascivious conversation must listen to the sullen moans, the hollow groans, and shrieks of tortured spirits. Be not deceived; you sinned in your body, you will be damned in your body It must lie in the fire and burn, and crack, and writhe. What sobering words! Oh, let no one die with their sins not yet forgiven! After all, it is not good people who go to heaven (no one is good enough!); it is forgiven people. But for the one who trusts in Christ, the sting is removed. Again, listen to Spurgeons words on the matter: I will not fear thee, death, why should I? Thou look like a dragon, but thy sting is gone. Thy teeth are broken, oh old lion, so why should I fear thee? I know thou art no more able to destroy me, but thou art sent as a messenger to conduct me to the golden gate wherein I shall enter and see my Saviours unveiled face forever. Expiring saints have often said that their last beds have been the best they have ever slept upon. To illustrate Spurgeons last sentence, think about DL Moody. He was a man who God used a century ago to lead nearly a million people to put their faith in Christ. He used to say, One day you will read in the newspaper, Moody is dead. But you dont believe a word. I will be more alive than I am right now. While on his death bed, he suddenly whispered: Earth recedes, and heaven opens up. His son, Will ran over to the bed. Will, if this is death it is sweet! God calls me dont hold me back. There is no more pain, no more valleys only bliss. And he breathed his last. What is meant by the power of sin is the law? It simply means that even attempts at morality, specifically obedience to the ten commandments, wont help us overcome the power of sinfulness in our lives. It will only energize sin even more. Pauls point is that we cannot save ourselves by sheer self-effort either from the penalty and power of sin, or from the judgment of God. We need a Saviour. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (v57). Christ alone is the one who saves us from the penalty of our

sins, the power of sins, and the terrifying judgment of God against our sin. Already now we experience the joy of that victory, but on the day we receive our resurrection bodies, the joy that comes from what Christ has done for us will be magnified a million times over. 58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain. The certainty of our destiny as believers enables us to live radical lives now. When we find the word therefore, we should ask what its there for. Here it means, In light of the previous affirmations, this is how we should approach life differently. So let us reflect on what Paul has just been saying about the life hereafter for the believer. He has said that death is likened to the sowing of a seed, and resurrection to the raising of a whole new body from that seed (v35-38). Our resurrection body will be wonderfully suited to life in the new heavens and earth, and our heavenly reward will be evident in our resurrection body itself (v39-42). The resurrection body is something to look forward to (v42-44). Though were born in Adams likeness, those who are in Christ will one day resurrect in Christs likeness (v45-49). Well experience instant change (v50-53) and dramatic victory (v54-57) at the time of receiving our resurrection bodies (v50-53). Surely all of these declarations will, and should, impact the way we follow Christ in this life. Indeed they do! We should stand firm and let nothing move us. No amount of resistance, opposition or suffering even the danger of losing our life as a martyr should put us off. What we have gained in the gospel no one can take from us! We should give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. We should do everything Christ wants us to do, and tell everyone we can about Christ and the gospel. We should not be halfhearted and hot-cold in our approach to ministry, but rather be consistently whole-hearted in our efforts to reach and serve this world, and to build up the body of Christ. Our labour in the Lord is not in vain. CT Studd, a famous cricketer, once gave up his fame and became an obscure missionary to an unreached group of people. His maxim was based on this verse. He used to articulate the truth of this verse in with the following expression: Only one life will soon be passed, only whats done for Christ will last. Those we reach for Christ will be in heaven with us. And all of our faith and faithfulness will be rewarded on that Great Day when we meet Christ face-to-face. Let us live and die without the regret of missed opportunities, unclaimed promises, unheeded instructions, fearmotivated choices, unloved people, unfocused efforts and half-hearted attempts. The certainty of our destiny motivates us to live these radical lives. 23) FINAL INSIGHTS AND INSTRUCTIONS (16:1-24)

1 Corinthians 16
The Collection for God's People 1Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 3Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 4If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me. Care about the wellbeing of other churches. Paul speaks about money being set aside for the saints (v1) (meaning Gods people) in Jerusalem (v3). The Jerusalem church was relatively poor. There were a large number of widows (Acts 6:1-6) and they were likely in the midst of famine at the time (Acts 11:27-30). Paul had previously taken a financial gift to the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:30). Notice how he was here leading the church in Corinth to play a part in taking care of other churches, in this case the Jerusalem church. He wanted to either take or send another financial gift to support them. What can we learn about caring for other churches from these verses? We should care enough to find out how other churches are doing. We should make an effort to find out how other churches are doing, and when we find churches that are suffering we should do what we can to alleviate that suffering. After all, if one part (of the body of Christ) suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it (1 Cor 12:26). We should care enough to partner with other churches from time to time. Do what I told the Galatian churches to do (v1). Paul is urging the Corinthian churches to partner with the Galatian church in this task. Why should the Galatian churches carry the strain alone? And why should they alone enjoy the privilege of this task? The Corinthian church is invited to partner with the Galatians. Still today, we must partner with other churches from time to time, especially when they face a task that is too difficult or too wonderful for them alone to deal with. We should care enough to give financial support to other churches from time to time. It was the practice of the church to support some of their pastors (1 Tim 5:17) as well as those truly in need within the church (1 Tim 5:3). But Paul instructs them to give over and above what was given to these two normal recipients; he tells them to give to other churches in need. We should care enough to send some of our people to other churches from time to time. Paul said, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem (v3). Paul did not just want them to send money to the Jerusalem church, but also to send people. There is no more practical way of uniting churches than for some people to build relationships with people of other churches. Interestingly, when Paul writes this letter he is not sure whether he

himself will deliver the gift to Jerusalem, however in Romans 15:25-29, written later, we find out that he eventually decided to go too. The church should be marked by collective, steady, proportional generosity. We should give collectively. Whenever the church gathered they would give towards a central pool. They teamed together in their giving, and trusted spiritual leaders like Paul to wisely steward that money. Still today, we should team with other believers by giving into a pool rather than only giving individualistically as one sees fit. We should give steadily. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money (v2). Instead of giving haphazardly, let us rather proactively and consistently set aside money to give. We should give proportionally. Set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income (v2). We should not compare how much we give with how much others give. Rather, the more we can afford to give, the more we should give. As Jesus said, To whom much is given much is required. Generally speaking, the wealthier a person is, the greater their generosity should be. Personal Requests 5After I go through Macedonia, I will come to youfor I will be going through Macedonia. 6Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me. Decision-making for the Christian is a dynamic process. Paul had plans, but trusted God to adjust those plans if need be. He planned to stay a while longer in Ephesus (East of Corinth, modern Turkey, from where he wrote this letter), and then to travel to Macedonia (North of Corinth, modern Northern Greece) where he would visit the Philippian and Thessalonian churches. Then finally he would travel to Corinth (modern Southern Greece) where he would stay for some time before moving on. But when would he leave Ephesus? His answer: only when God would allow him to. It seemed to him that God had opened up a door for effective ministry there, and the church was facing some opposition (and therefore needed his support) and therefore it would be premature for him to leave (v9). Interestingly, God eventually closed the door in Ephesus (see Acts 19:23-20:1) and he went to Macedonia. And would his plan to get to Corinth, and to stay for some time come to pass? Again, only if God permitted (v7). Apparently, God didnt permit this, because he didnt go to Corinth in the end (see Acts 20:2-6). Still today, decision-making for the Christian is a dynamic process. We need to make plans, but to hold them loosely. We need to discern the

opening and closing of doors (as Paul did by staying in, and then eventually leaving, Ephesus). And we need to discern Gods leadings (as Paul did when he did not go to Corinth). 10If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. 11No one, then, should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers. 12Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity. Spiritual leaders need to know how to partner with fellow-workers. Spiritual leaders need to develop fellow-workers. One of the brilliant things about Paul was his ability to build a team of leaders around himself. For example, he had trained up Timothy, and had encouraged Apollos in ministry. Spiritual leaders need be respectful of the decisions of fellow-workers. Paul requested that both Timothy and Apolos visit the church in Corinth. Timothy, it seems, was willing to go, but Apollos wasnt just yet. Though he was their leader, yet he was respectful of their choices. Spiritual leaders need to look out for the wellbeing of fellow-workers. The church in Corinth defied Pauls authority. Paul was nervous that they would treat Timothy, a much younger leader in the same way. He requests that they treat him well. Spiritual leaders need to be secure enough to partner with fellowworkers more gifted than themselves. Many in the church of Corinth preferred Apollos to Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12) because he was more eloquent, and possibly a more knowledge-able man (Acts 18:24). Apollos came from Alexandria, a famous place of knowledge that boasted the largest library in the world. Nonetheless Paul was secure in God and was not threatened by him. He knew that the church needed more than just his own ministry. 13Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 14Do everything in love. The Christian is to be a tender warrior. There are five short, sharp instructions given here. The first four are of a military nature. Like warriors, we need to be on our guard. The enemy could attack at any time. We cannot have a peace-time mentality. As long as we are serving Christ and the advance of his kingdom, were in a full-scale spiritual war. Satan is ready to exploit our weaknesses, and sometimes our strengths, when we least expect it. Like warriors, we need to stand firm. Through discouragement and

temptation, Satan will try to get us to lose our footing and our ground. As we move forward under Christs direction, he doesnt want us to take any ground from him. Instead, he wants to take ground from us. But how do we remain standing? The answer is given: by faith. We must continue to trust in Gods faithfulness and promises, no matter what. Without faith, no one can remain on his feet. Like warriors, we need to be people of courage. Intimidation and anxiety are real. Instead of marching boldly into all God has for us, we tend to shrink back. But courage enables us to keep on marching even in the face of threat and danger. Paul tells us to be like courageous men in this regard. Soldiers were always to be men, real men. And, when it comes to spiritual warfare, all Christians, even the young and the women are to fight like men. Like warriors, we need to be strong. Our strength comes from Christs strength. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (Eph 6:10). Christ is strong, and sometimes in the fiercest battle, when we feel really weak, we can still count on him to draw near to us, as he did to Paul in a time of uncertainty, and say, I am with you. No one shall harm you (Acts 18:9-10). But unlike warriors, we need to be loving. We dont usually put war and love in the same sentence. But the Christian life is about both love and war. In response to Satan and his schemes to resist us, we are to fight valiantly as warriors. But we do not fight against people. Rather we lovingly fight for them even for those that Satan uses to resist us. We do everything in love. We are to be tender warriors.

15You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, 16to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it. 17I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. 18For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition. Servant-hearted elders should be submitted to by those they lead. Stephanas and the two other men, Fortunatus and Achaicus, had travelled from Corinth to Ephesus to encourage Paul. They personally refreshed Paul. No doubt they also reported to him in detail what was happening in the Corinthian church, and this had shaped his letter to them. Now we know how he had such detailed information about the compromises and confusions within the church. But who were these men? What role did they play in the church? Let me answer that by stepping back and asking another question first: it was Pauls practice to appoint elders in the churches that were birthed by his ministry (Acts 14:23), but who were the elders of the Corinthian church? It is likely that Stephanas, and possibly Fortunatas and Achaicus were amongst these men. There is some evidence for this view: 1) Stephanas, and his whole family, were the first converts (he uses the

Greek for firstfruits) when Paul came to Corinth. 2) Stephanas and his family were amongst the only people in Corinth that Paul had personally baptized (see 1 Corinthians 1:16). 3) Stephanas had a track-record of serving Gods people (v15) and refreshing the spirits of Christians (v18). 4) He was, in Pauls view, worthy of submission (v16) and recognition (v18), which was rightly given to servant-hearted elders such as him. Still today, churches need servant-hearted leaders and elders who pour out their lives for the wellbeing of the church. And still today, it is wise for the church to entrust themselves to such leaders. Hebrews 13:17 says, Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

Final Greetings 19The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. 20All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 21I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. 22If anyone does not love the Lorda curse be on him. Come, O Lord! 23The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen. At the heart of the Christian life is the nurturing of relationship. The last few words of the letter all affirm the importance of nurtured relationships horizontally (with people) and vertically (with Christ). The essence of Christian living is the cultivation of these relationships. We need to nurture our relationships with each other by keeping in contact. Paul writes, The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings and, All the brothers here send you greetings. Relationships over long distance need to utilize whatever communication means available to stay in touch. The people of Pauls day used letter writing. We have the privilege of using much more effective and rapid means of communication today. We need to cultivate relationships by opening our homes to each other. Paul writes about the church that meets at their house. The churches did not own buildings in those days, though the Jerusalem church used the temple courts for a season (Acts 2:46) and Paul apparently hired a space for meetings for two years (Acts 19:9-10). The common practice in the early church was for each church in a city to subdivide by meeting in several houses across the city (see Philemon 2, Col 4:15). Each house could usually fit up to 30 people. Still today, one of the best ways to develop relationships is to invite people into our homes; and still today unless a church community makes use of the homes of people, it will always be lacking in its ability to generate real community. We need to develop our relationships by expressing and displaying appropriate affection toward each other. My love to all of you in Christ

Jesus (v24). Paul expressed his love to them verbally. And he encouraged them to express affection toward each other with a holy kiss (v20). This was a culturally appropriate way of showing tenderness and warmth to each other (though in many cultures today, mine included, kissing may not be the best way to do this). We need to build relationships with some non-Christians too - if we hope to lead some of them to Christ. Paul mentioned that Aquila and Priscilla greet (them) warmly in the Lord. Who were Aquila and Priscilla? They were Pauls converts. But how did he go about introducing them to Christ? Answer: he built a friendship with them (see Acts 18:2-3). Not surprising, they followed his example of relational evangelism by inviting Apollos into their home and sharing Christ with him (see Acts 18:24-26). Still today, one of the most effective means of leading people to Christ is by first building relationships with them. As proof of this, a recent survey revealed that 90% of all people who found Christ said that a friend or family member were greatly instrumental in the process. We need to protect our relationship with Christ by cultivating a loving obedience toward him. If anyone does not love the Lorda curse be on him. This letter has been filled with strong warnings that the Corinthian church should repent of their sinful failure to lovingly obey Christ, or else face his threat of discipline. Paul adds this one more warning: if we fail to love Christ, he will deal with us firmly. To love Christ is to be blessed, to fail to love him is to be cursed. We shouldnt mess with Christ. We need to deepen our relationship with Christ by longing prayer. Paul prays, Come, O Lord! It is a prayer that expresses longing for Christs return. Although he knew Christ intimately, yet he longed to see Jesus face to face upon Christs return (1 Corinthians 13:12). The closer we get to him in this life the more we long to meet him in the next life. The secret to sustaining our love for Christ is to deepen our dependence upon Christs grace. Paul reminded them that it is Christs love for us, and his grace toward us, that energizes our love for him. He writes, the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. That grace still flows toward us daily and hourly like a mountain stream. We must learn to drink from it constantly. To drink from it is to be blessed. To fail to drink from it might bring upon us the curse of a loveless, unfaithful heart.